How the Columbus Crew, St. Louis City booked their spots in the U.S. Open Cup final

After nearly four full months since the quarterfinal round, the U.S. Open Cup’s final is set: on October 21st, the Columbus Crew will host St. Louis City in an all-MLS matchup.

Between then and now, all four semifinal participants – Columbus, Orlando, Colorado, and St. Louis – made major transfer swings, and Backheeled broke the news that the full 27-team suite of MLS clubs would rejoin the competition in 2027. A whole World Cup happened in the interim!

Plenty changed since the last round of matches, but Columbus and St. Louis brought the same defensive intensity and dynamic attacking that saw them through back in May. What were the major themes that took those two outfits one step closer to a trophy? Let’s dig in.

Columbus and the art of integrating your aging striker

Columbus Crew (2) - Orlando City (1)

Josef Martinez, 33, and Antoine Griezmann, 35, were stars of a different magnitude at their respective peaks, but they were stars nonetheless. Martinez won MLS’s MVP award in 2018 in the midst of a three-year all-league run; Griezmann finished third in Ballon d’Or in 2015 and is a veritable La Liga legend. The ability for those two forwards to turn back the clock on Tuesday night defined Columbus’ battle against Orlando in the U.S. Open Cup semifinals.

The Crew’s press set the battle lines in the early going. Martinez was at the tip of manager Laurent Courtois’ defensive spear, a 5-2-3 that was focused on denying Orlando access to their double pivot. Typically, the No. 9 would press against the center back on the ball, while linemates Santi Rodriguez and Brais Mendez tended to sit off and use their shadows to deny the midfield. 

That setup energized Columbus, who’d lost seven out of eight games across all competitions entering the semis. The use of a high back line and the sloppiness engendered by that pressing approach let Columbus get out on the run. Left wingback Anass Zaroury (on his debut after signing from Greek titans Panathinaikos) was especially bright, fearlessly taking on 20-year-old Orlando right back Zakaria Taifi to get at the box.

Just nine minutes in, that early momentum paid off via Martinez. Columbus had earned a corner, and instead of taking an inswinger right off the bat, they had Rodriguez and center mid Andre Gomes play catch off a short corner. That action drew the attention of multiple Orlando defenders, caused manager Martin Perelman’s side to lose their marks, and allowed Martinez to get loose – having been kept onside by none other than Griezmann.