Judging strictly by the current MLS standings, St. Louis CITY SC enter Wednesday’s 2026 US Open Cup final at the Columbus Crew as favorites to win the historic tournament (8 pm ET | Paramount+, CBS Sports Network).
But ask Crew striker Josef Martínez, a USOC champion with Atlanta United in 2019, and none of that will matter once the ball gets rolling at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field.
“When you’re on the pitch, you only think about winning. No matter what,” the legendary goalscorer told reporters earlier this week ahead of his sixth final as an MLS player.
“No matter if they’re a better team or a worse team or they have better players on the field, we are 11 guys. So the most important thing is to fight till the end, because you never know.”
CITY's spectacular run
Martínez, the league’s sixth all-time leading scorer, has reason for optimism, having won all but one of his previous five finals (MLS Cup in 2018, US Open Cup and Campeones Cup in 2019 with Atlanta; Leagues Cup 2023 with Inter Miami CF).
However, St. Louis will most certainly like their chances as well.
CITY have been one of the revelations of the 2026 season under first-year manager Yoann Damet, highlighted by their record-setting 21-match unbeaten streak across all competitions.
Club-record signing Rafael Navarro (8g/4a) – who is unavailable for the USOC final – and fellow Designated Player summer acquisition Carlo Holse (6g/2a) played key roles in the historic streak, despite playing only about 600 minutes each thus far for CITY.
That success catapulted them to a first Audi MLS Cup Playoffs berth since their 2023 expansion season and into second place in the Western Conference (51 points), within striking distance of first-place Vancouver Whitecaps FC (55 points).
And now, St. Louis are one win away from lifting their first trophy in club history on Wednesday night.
“At the end of the day, I believe that the cup gave us something else to chew on and to get a different feeling… it helps you grow as a team,” said Damet, an MLS Sigi Schmid Coach of the Year candidate.
“Was the cup important in our journey? Most definitely.”
However, that journey hit a slight bump over the weekend when CITY’s historic unbeaten streak came to a surprising halt after they dropped a two-goal lead in an eventual 3-2 loss at Minnesota United FC.
For captain and veteran goalkeeper Roman Bürki, the unexpected setback at Allianz Field may have been a blessing in disguise.
“I think it’s good timing,” said Bürki. “It brought us back to reality and showed us that we’re only a good team if we have the hunger, the intensity and everybody is at 100%.”
Crew climbing
Speaking of timing, Wednesday’s final may also be arriving at the ideal moment for the Crew.
The three-time MLS Cup winners and 2002 US Open Cup champions are making a late-season playoff push, winning four of their last five league games to move within a point of the Eastern Conference’s Wild Card spots.
Like St. Louis, the Crew have been buoyed in attack by DP summer signings Brais Mendéz and Santiago Rodríguez, who have already netted a combined 7g/8a in just over 1,600 minutes.
They're also coming off a momentum-building 2-0 victory at Hell is Real rivals FC Cincinnati.
“For me, it’s about going out there and enjoying,” said midfielder Malte Amundsen, an MLS Cup champion with the Crew and New York City FC. “The fact that we’re able to be here, to play a final – this is what we all dreamed of when we were kids.
“… We’re here. Maybe we don’t get this opportunity again; maybe we will, we don’t know. So let’s enjoy this game for what it is, with the fans, the crowd. But also, it’s just a game against another MLS team that we play every week. So, let’s play the game.”
Trophy standard
For Columbus, a win on Wednesday would give them a second USOC trophy and 10th major title overall, to go along with the three MLS Cups, three Supporters' Shields, Leagues Cup 2024 and Campeones Cup 2021.
“It’s incredible, in such a short amount of time, what this stadium and this city were able to witness and experience,” said interim manager Laurent Courtois, a former club assistant coach who’s looking to expand the Crew’s championship legacy.
Damet, also a former assistant coach at Columbus, has a different challenge as the leader of the team with no such tradition to speak of.
“Right now, the history of the club is nothing. So we need to keep striving to fill that trophy cabinet with something,” said Damet.
“And having that opportunity to be the first is an amazing opportunity that we’ve earned throughout our journey in the competition this year.”
