The Columbus Crew will host the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup final at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field on Wednesday, Oct. 21. The club last hosted the tournament’s title match in 2002.
The Crew earned the home date by beating Orlando City SC 2-1 in a semifinal on Wednesday, Sept. 16. St. Louis CITY SC won the other semifinal the same night and will make the trip to Columbus.
Kickoff is 8 p.m. Tickets are on sale through the Crew’s website.
How the Crew got here
Josef Martinez scored nine minutes in. He gathered an in-swinging cross from Santiago Rodriguez inside the six-yard box and finished from close range. It was his first goal for the Crew since he signed in early August. Orlando answered in the 40th minute through Martin Ojeda, who finished after Justin Ellis carried the ball through the Columbus half and squared it across the area.
The winner came in the 52nd minute, when Brais Mindez tapped home the deciding goal. Rodriguez set up both goals in his fourth appearance for the club.
This is the fourth Open Cup final in Crew history and the first the club has reached since 2010. U.S. Soccer notes the Crew are chasing their first Open Cup title since 2002, the same year they last hosted the final.
What St. Louis CITY SC brings
St. Louis reached the final by beating the Colorado Rapids 3-0 in Commerce City, Colorado, on the same Wednesday night. The club has gone 17 straight matches without a loss across all competitions, and a win in Columbus would be the first trophy in its four-year history. Head coach Yoann Damet worked for the Crew before taking the St. Louis job.
