On the Pitch
On the Pitch
On the Pitch
On the Pitch
Open Cup
Columbus’ New Crew Carries Club to First U.S. Open Cup Final Since 2010
Newcomers Brais Méndez, Santiago Rodríguez, Josef Martínez send Columbus Crew to victory in Open Cup Semifinal
COLUMBUS, Ohio – It’s been a tumultuous season for the Columbus Crew. Just a few years removed from two MLS Cup titles, victorious Leagues Cup and Campeones Cup campaigns and a runner-up finish in the Concacaf Champions Cup, the Crew have struggled mightily in league play this season. Columbus entered Wednesday’s U.S. Open Cup Semifinal contest against a surging Orlando City SC after losing seven of its last eight matches.
“I'm going to say that 95% of what the guys did today, they did a lot already this year,” Courtois explained. “What we showed on the ball for a good amount of games now, we’re really pleased with, but the solidarity, the togetherness was a step forward today.”
The Crew have endured quite a bit of roster turnover throughout the year. Earlier this summer, Columbus sold two of its most prolific attackers, sending leading scorer Diego Rossi to Liga MX side Monterrey in July before moving U.S. Men’s National Team midfielder Max Arfsten to English Championship outfit Middlesbrough FC in August. The club also sent its leading Open Cup goalscorer, 23-year-old midfielder Hugo Picard, on loan to Ligue 1’s Troyes in his native France.
In response, Columbus took a swing and reloaded in a big way. The Crew made a splash by adding two new Designated Players, purchasing former Spain international Brais Méndez from Real Sociedad and former MLS Cup champion Santiago Rodríguez from Botafogo. Columbus also welcomed Chile international Gonzalo Tapia on loan from São Paulo, former Morocco international and Panathinaikos loanee Anass Zaroury, and reunited former Atlanta United goalscorers Josef Martínez and Brooks Lennon.
Just a few months into its midseason roster reconstruction, the moves have seemingly paid off. Wednesday’s Semifinal contest marked the second time that three of its high-profile attacking additions—Méndez, Rodríguez and Martínez—simultaneously started a match, the only other time being a resounding 3-0 victory against the Colorado Rapids on Sept. 5. The result was a decisive 2-1 victory against Orlando in the Semifinal.
Santiago Rodríguez controls the ball during the 2026 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Semifinal against Orlando City SC at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field (Photo by Kirk Irwin/USSF/Getty Images)
“Even since I was in Brazil, I was watching the team,” Rodríguez said. “They deserve to win, and when I started here against Colorado, it helped us. Then we had two losses, and we really needed to reanalyze how we approach the next couple of matches. This win definitely helps us. Our goal is to win this cup and earn as many points as possible in the league, so that we can earn a spot in the playoffs. This one helps us.”
Of their 15 matches across all competitions since returning from the FIFA World Cup break, the Crew have allowed their opponents to score the winning or equalizing goal in the final 20 minutes on six occasions. Wednesday evening’s victory marked just the third time that the Crew have shut out their opponent in the second half and held on to win since returning to action in July.
A big part of that second-half stability was 30-year-old Guatemala international goalkeeper Nicholas Hagen, who has played all 360 minutes of Columbus’ run to the U.S. Open Cup Final. Hagen—who has made just six appearances this season across Open Cup and Leagues Cup in place of Patrick Shulte—is unbeaten across his six appearances this year, adding to his tally with a three-save performance against Orlando.
“I'm excited for what I saw,” Hagen said. “I saw players turning the page, players with a goal in mind, and trying to take a step forward and show ourselves and people around that this team is built for something different, and we're still in it.
“We felt a lot more comfortable. The last few minutes we were [holding] the ball, we were clear on what we needed to do to end the game. We know Orlando’s [transitional play] is extreme, so we prevented that as much as we could, and we did. You could see it. Everybody was asking for the ball. Everybody was moving, and that's what we want.”
Entering the match, Hagen was one of seven players with 10 or fewer appearances on the season to suit up for the Crew. Former Morocco international and Panathinaikos loanee Anass Zaroury made his Crew debut, earning the start and playing 58 minutes. Rodríguez made his fourth consecutive start, recording his third goal contribution for the club. And Josef Martínez—an Open Cup champion with Atlanta United and runner-up with Inter Miami—set the tone early with his first Crew goal, less than 10 minutes into the win-or-go-home clash.
Josef Martínez reacts after scoring his first Columbus goal during the first half of the Semifinal of the 2026 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup against Orlando City SC at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field (Photo by Kirk Irwin/USSF/Getty Images)
“For me, it's a big surprise and a reward because I work a lot for that,” Martínez said of his goal. “I tried in the games before and the goal was not coming, but today was the special one against one of the most beautiful teams. I love to play against [Orlando], but I'm very, very happy. I think we need this.
“We try in every training. We know this is the way we have to play. Obviously, we have bad games and good games, but this is the way we have to compete. In my opinion, we don't care about winning or losing, but we have to fight. This is a big stage for us, for the fans and for us. This is a big, big night.”
With his Crew a win away from a fifth trophy since 2020—and simultaneously chasing an MLS Cup Playoffs berth—Courtois reiterated his expectations for the club.
“We want to win every game,” Courtois explained. “We don't choose competitions or specific games. What we had to go through has been really unique, not only in itself internally, but by the format of the season, the World Cup, and playing Leagues Cup. The past two and a half months have been insane, and credit to the guys for what they delivered tonight.”
