Columbus Crew forward Anass Zaroury's knee struck Roman Bürki in the head, with the incident placed in the 69th, 70th or 78th minute depending on the outlet.
Ben Lundt, Bürki's deputy, saved the first attempt by Uruguayan Santi Rodríguez, and SRF reports every other shooter scored.
The club, founded in 2019 and in MLS since 2023, won its first title in its young history with the cup final win.
St. Louis confirmed Bürki was conscious and had feeling in all of his limbs, and SRF reports he was taken to hospital for further checks.
St. Louis City beat Columbus Crew on penalties in the final of the US Open Cup, the American counterpart to the DFB-Pokal. Neither side scored in 120 minutes of play, so the shootout decided the match. For St. Louis, the win is the first title in a club that was founded in 2019 and has played in MLS since 2023. According to SRF, the final was played in Columbus, at the stadium of the opponent. Reports published on 22 October describe the result as a triumph that came with pain for the club's captain, Roman Bürki.
Bürki, the Swiss goalkeeper and captain, collided with Columbus forward Anass Zaroury, whose knee struck him in the head. Reports differ on the minute: N-tv and RP Online put it in the 70th minute, SRF in the 69th and watson in the 78th. SRF reports that he was treated on the pitch for several minutes before being carried off on a stretcher, though he waved to the supporters as he left. St. Louis confirmed that he was conscious and had feeling in all of his limbs. SRF reports he was then taken to hospital for further checks. Watson notes that the collision came shortly after Bürki made a one-on-one save that had prevented a goal for Columbus.
Bürki's deputy, Ben Lundt, came on and saved the first Columbus penalty, taken by the Uruguayan Santi Rodríguez. SRF reports that every other shooter converted, so the single save settled the outcome. The German goalkeeper was called the hero of the shootout by SRF, and watson says his save laid the basis for the club's first title. Before the shootout, no goal had been scored in regular time or extra time. The result gave St. Louis the trophy in a competition that watson describes as the oldest in American football.
Bürki, 35, joined St. Louis in 2022 after seven years at Borussia Dortmund, where he won the DFB-Pokal twice. He had moved to SC Freiburg from Grasshoppers Zürich in 2014 and followed with Dortmund a year later, according to RP Online. In his first season in the United States he was voted the best goalkeeper in MLS. SRF counts the final as his fourth cup win and notes an earlier Swiss Cup title with Grasshoppers Zürich. Watson adds that Bürki turns 36 in mid-November. The US Open Cup has been contested for 112 years, and watson places it among the oldest competitions in the country's football.
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St. Louis City won the US Open Cup final on penalties, but captain Roman Bürki was carried off on a stretcher after a head injury. Backup Ben Lundt saved Columbus's first penalty after 120 goalless minutes.
AI text based on reports by N-tv, RP Online, SRF News and other publishers. Published .