The Player Pathway to the 2026 U.S. Open Cup Final
The majority of players on the Columbus Crew and St. Louis CITY SC rosters developed through top youth academies, clubs and college programs
The 2026 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final (8 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network and Paramount+) features two of Major League Soccer’s (MLS) hottest sides. The Columbus Crew have won five of their last six matches, while St. Louis CITY SC recently recorded a league-record 21-match unbeaten streak across all competitions.
Both teams feature rosters filled with high-caliber talent, with most players having developed through some of the country’s top youth clubs, college programs and professional academies. Here’s a breakdown of the player development pathways represented on the Columbus and St. Louis rosters.
The Community Club/State Association Route
Brooks Lennon (Columbus) – RSL-AZ (Arizona Soccer Association)
Mamadou Mbacke (St. Louis) – Montverde Academy (Florida High School Athletic Association)
Célio Pompeu (St. Louis) – Cedar Stars Rush (USL League Two)
The Collegiate Game
Simon Becher (St. Louis) – Holy Cross, Saint Louis University (NCAA)
Kyle Hiebert (St. Louis) – Missouri States (NCAA)
Ben Lundt (St. Louis) – Lenoir-Rhyne, Akron (NCAA)
MLS & USL Academies
Chris Durkin (St. Louis) – Richmond Kickers Academy (USL), D.C. United Academy (MLS)
Stanislav Lapkes (Columbus) – Columbus Crew Academy (MLS)
Jaziel Orozco (St. Louis) – Real Salt Lake Academy (MLS)
Miguel Perez (St. Louis) – St. Louis CITY SC Academy (MLS)
Tyson Pearce (St. Louis) – St. Louis CITY SC Academy (MLS)
Tahir Reid-Brown (St. Louis) – Orlando City SC Academy (MLS)
Community Club and Professional Academy
Caden Glover (St. Louis) – St. Louis Scott Gallagher (Missouri Youth Soccer Association) & St. Louis CITY SC Academy (MLS)
Chase Adams (Columbus) – Galaxy SC (Illinois Youth Soccer Association) & Columbus Crew Academy (MLS)
Daniel Edelman (St. Louis) – Players Development Academy (US Club Soccer) & Red Bull New York Academy (MLS)
Mykhi Joyner (St. Louis) – Central Illinois United (Illinois Youth Soccer Association) & St. Louis CITY SC Academy (MLS)
Palmer Ault (St. Louis) – Indy Eleven Academy (USL) & Indiana Fire, Indy Premier (Indiana Soccer)
Tarun Karumanchi (Columbus) – De Anza Force SC (NorCal Premier Soccer) & San Jose Earthquakes Academy (MLS)
Taha Habroune (Columbus) – Blast FC (Ohio State Soccer League) & Columbus Crew Academy (MLS)
Tristan Brown (Columbus) – Waza FC, Michigan Wolves (Michigan State Youth Soccer Association) & Columbus Crew Academy (MLS)
Professional Academy and College
Charles-Emile Brunet (St. Louis) – CF Montréal Academy (MLS) & Central Arkansas, SMU (NCAA)
Dante Polvara (St. Louis) – New York City FC Academy (MLS) & Georgetown (NCAA)
Sean Zawadzki (Columbus) – Team Challenger FC (Ohio Soccer Association) & Columbus Crew Academy (MLS) & Georgetown (NCAA)
Community Club and College
Evan Bush (Columbus) – Mentor Impact, Cleveland Force (Ohio Soccer Association) & Akron (NCAA)
Brendan McSorley (St. Louis) – Players Development Academy (US Club Soccer) & Providence (NCAA)
Zach Zengue (St. Louis) – Shattuck (Minnesota State High School League) and Georgetown (NCAA)
Community Club, College and Professional Academy
Amar Sejdić (Columbus) – United 1996 FC, Derby City Rovers (Kentucky Youth Soccer Association) & Real Salt Lake Academy (MLS) & Maryland (NCAA)
Cesar Ruvalcaba (Columbus) – Downey FC United, Strikers FC (California State Soccer Association – South) & Cal Poly Pomona, SMU (NCAA)
Patrick Schulte (Columbus) – St. Louis Scott Gallagher (Missouri Youth Soccer Association) & Saint Louis FC Academy (USL) & Saint Louis University (NCAA)