U.S. Open Cup live stream: How to watch Columbus Crew vs. St. Louis City SC, odds, TV channel

The final is set for Wednesday night with everything on the line

Oct 21, 2026 at 11:34 am ET • 3 min read

The threads between St. Louis City SC and the Columbus Crew are thick, as without the Crew, one of Major League Soccer's original teams, this current St. Louis resurgence may not be possible. Sporting director Corey Wray and head coach Yoann Damet both spent time in the Columbus Crew system before helping set up this team that has reinvented itself to reach the final on Wednesday in their old city of Columbus (live on Paramount+ and CBS Sports Network, 8 p.m. ET).

But the ties don't end there, as there's even a college connection. Columbus Crew captain Sean Zawadzki and St. Louis midfielder Dante Polvara were part of the 2019 Georgetown University NCAA championship team. While they've taken different paths to get here, they'll meet now with a chance to win the U.S. Open Cup final and also book their place in the Concacaf Champions Cup. The champions will also receive $600,000 in prize money, while the runner-up receives $250,000.

St. Louis may have a rich history in the competition, with teams from the city winning 10 Open Cup titles, but it has been 38 years since the last one. Meanwhile, Columbus has been one of the most successful teams in MLS history with nine trophies in all competitions and will have a chance to add one in front of their home fans in this tournament.

How to watch Columbus Crew vs. St. Louis City SC, odds

Date: Wednesday, Oct. 21 | Time: 8 p.m. ET
Location: ScottsMiracle-Gro Field -- Columbus, Ohio
TV: CBS Sports Network | Live stream: Paramount+
Odds: Columbus +130; Draw +250; St. Louis City SC +182

St. Louis' depth will need to stand tall

In St. Louis, they made a major addition by adding Rafael Navarro from the Colorado Rapids. Navarro has only played eight games for the club, but he has scored eight goals in the process and added three assists as well. But there's one large issue: he has already played in the U.S. Open Cup for the Rapids and can't feature in this game. But have no fear: Simon Becher may be one of the most improved players in MLS this season. In all competitions, Becher has 10 goals and four assists in 33 appearances for the club. While he has been underperforming his xG of 12.19, he has been excellent at getting into space to put shots on frame. Alongside Carlo Holse and Alexandru Matan (another former Columbus player), Becher will still form an attack that should be feared.

That wouldn't have been expected last season when Becher only had three goals from an xG of nine in all competitions, despite averaging more shots per 90 minutes than he's taking currently under Damet. It shows just how potent this system is, and if Columbus aren't careful, this could get out of hand quickly.

Can Brais Mendez bring a championship pedigree?

Brais Mendez is one of the players that the Crew will look to in order to get over the line. He's not even a full year removed from winning the Copa del Rey with Real Sociedad before making the move to MLS to help fill the void left by Diego Rossi's departure to Monterrey. Since joining the Crew, Mendez has registered 11 goal contributions in all competitions, giving them a talisman to play through. While he was withdrawn at halftime of their victory over FC Cincinnati, Columbus manager Laurent Courtois confirmed that it wasn't injury-related. Meanwhile, their other new recruit, Anass Zaroury, will also be available after missing out due to illness, and Josef Martinez will be expected to lead the line.

It's an entirely new-look attack for Courtois, showcasing another one of the similarities between these squads: the immense change that they've undergone this season. Only time will tell which manager pushes their chess pieces on the pitch the best, but with talented players at their disposal, we're set for a good match in Columbus.

History runs through these walls

With the Crew hosting the final, it's a good time for a historical note as Lamar Hunt, who the competition is named after, was the founder of both the American Football League and Major League Soccer. During that time, the Columbus Crew were one of the teams that he owned in MLS alongside Sporting Kansas City, who were then known as the Kansas City Wizards. So while St. Louis as a city has its roots in this competition, this is one of the homes of MLS, making it a significant matchup. The Crew haven't won the Open Cup since 2002, when they defeated the Los Angeles Galaxy, but that could come to an end if they can perform while the pressure is on in front of their home fans.