Columbus (GNP): St Louis City have won the first trophy in the club’s history, beating Major League Soccer (MLS) rivals Columbus Crew on penalties on Wednesday to lift the US Open Cup.
Neither side could find a goal in Columbus, and the final finished 0-0 after extra time. The contest was settled in a shoot-out, which St Louis won 5-3.
Daniel Edelman stroked in the decisive spot-kick to seal the victory. The moment carried extra meaning for him, as he also scored the winning penalty in a shoot-out that knocked Columbus out of the 2024 MLS postseason.
Edelman said that experience helped him stay calm at the spot. He said it is all about the process, with belief, a good mindset and focus on how you strike the ball.
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He was not the only hero. Substitute goalkeeper Ben Lundt set the tone by saving Columbus’s opening penalty, taken by Santiago Rodriguez, which put St Louis ahead in the shoot-out from the start.
After scoring, Edelman sprinted the length of the pitch to celebrate with the St Louis supporters at Columbus’s ScottsMiracle-Gro Field.
The celebration suited the occasion. The US Open Cup is the oldest annual team tournament in the United States, first played in 1913-1914, and this is the first silverware St Louis have won.
