The U.S. Open Cup final on October 21 promises an exciting clash between Columbus Crew and St. Louis City SC at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field in Columbus, Ohio, kicking off at 8 p.m. ET. This matchup is steeped in history, with significant ties between the two teams' management and players, notably Corey Wray and Yoann Damet, who both hail from the Crew system.

Key connections include:

• Sean Zawadzki (Crew captain) and Dante Polvara (St. Louis midfielder) were teammates on the 2019 Georgetown University NCAA championship team.
• The winner not only claims the U.S. Open Cup but also secures a spot in the Concacaf Champions Cup and a $600,000 prize.

Despite St. Louis' rich history with 10 Open Cup titles, their last victory was 38 years ago. In contrast, the Crew aim to add to their legacy of nine trophies across all competitions and seek their first Open Cup since 2002.

St. Louis faces challenges with key player Rafael Navarro ineligible due to prior participation in the tournament. However, Simon Becher, who has emerged as a key player this season with 10 goals and 4 assists, will lead their attack alongside Carlo Holse and Alexandru Matan.

For the Crew, Brais Mendez stands out as a pivotal player, bringing championship experience from his time with Real Sociedad. He has contributed 11 goals since joining the Crew, bolstering their offensive capabilities alongside Josef Martinez and new recruit Anass Zaroury.

As the teams prepare for this historic match, which also honors Lamar Hunt, a founder of both MLS and the competition, all eyes will be on who can deliver under pressure in front of a home crowd.