St. Louis CITY SC reserved their spot in the 2025 US Open Cup Round of 16 by defeating Union Omaha 2-0. The match, held at Energizer Park, was decided by second-half goals. Joey Zalinsky, making his professional debut, opened the scoring, while João Klauss added a second and wrapped up the qualification for the MLS club. It was the second consecutive victory of St. Louis over Union Omaha in the tournament, replicating the 2023 score, and the sixth clean sheet of the season for the team.
St. Louis dominated the game but were not effective
St. Louis controlled the first half but lacked finishing. The team had possession of the ball for 66% and took ten shots with three from the opponent, but could not translate control into goals. It opened up flanks with Xande Silva and Célio Pompeu to create some menace, but none of it translated into a goal. Union Omaha, staying deeper, had isolated chances with Max Schneider, who had chances close up from a set piece. The first half ended with no thrilling offensive moments.
In the 42nd minute, Alfredo Morales had to leave the field with a non-contact injury. The midfielder was replaced by Conrad Wallem. Head coach Olof Mellberg said the situation was concerning. “I don’t think he’s okay, could be some kind of strain, but we’ll see tomorrow,” he said. The loss of Morales affected the balance of the midfield and required a reorganization of the team already at halftime.
Substitutions and injuries altered the match dynamic
During the second half, the game was intensified, and St. Louis looked for new answers. Tomas Ostrák was replaced by Eduard Löwen after displaying a little tightness in his groin. Union Omaha also made changes to the lineup, wanting to become more offensive-minded. Anderson Holt was replaced by Samuel Owusu, and the team started to move higher. Omaha made two additional attacking replacements in the 58th minute, replacing Mehdi Ouamri and Sergio Ors Navarro.
The clincher came in the 68th minute. After three failed attempts, Joey Zalinsky, St. Louis's fullback draft choice in this year's MLS SuperDraft, finally had the room to shoot. With his right foot, he hit a hard shot from outside the box into the bottom left corner. The opposing goalie could not get to it. It was Zalinsky's first professional goal and his first in the CITY SC jersey. "It was crazy. I could not have asked for anything better. First professional goal, first game in front of wonderful fans. I was very happy," he said after the game. "I had three chances previously, so I thought one of them must be going in. I did not think it was going in with enough power and thought the ball was going out wide. I was shocked at first."
Klauss enters at halftime and finishes the score
Behind, St. Louis tried to control the game, but Union Omaha struck back with pressure. The opponent team best threatened between the 70th minute and the 80th. The best one was due to a corner during the 79th, whereby Ouamri managed to shoot inside the box. Four minutes on, he attempted a bicycle kick which resulted in CITY SC goalkeeper Ben Lundt. Lundt's game was pivotal to maintaining the scoreline. It was his third clean sheet this season.
"Along that stretch, we had a bad stretch for 10 minutes when we were up 1-0 and they came close to scoring," Mellberg said. "I wasn't happy with that small bit." Union Omaha maintained the tempo until the final minute, when they issued their final substitution in the 84th minute as Mark Bronnik came on for Brandon Knapp.
St. Louis responded immediately with its second goal. The team regained the ball in Union Omaha's counter-attack in the 87th minute and started a fast break. Teuchert drove forward down the middle and passed to Klauss on the left, who came on for Simon Becher. The forward grasped it, shot with his right foot, and placed it into the bottom right corner. With that, St. Louis sealed the victory and knocked their opponent out for the second year in a row in the US Open Cup.
Ben Lundt earns another shutout
Klauss talked about the importance of the game and the team's performance. "This was a crucial match and a cup we'd like to come at in a serious manner but, at the same time, it wasn't pretty. There are a lot of things to work on and we need to get back onto the training pitch and work.".
The result vindicated St. Louis's defense solidity, having lost none of the six matches this season. The team has been a zone of consistency, even against clubs from the lower division. Stability in the defensive unit, as well as the presence of youthful and decisive players, has made all the difference for Mellberg's side.