A knee to the head late in regulation
St. Louis City goalkeeper Roman Bürki was hurt in the U.S. Open Cup final on Wednesday night in Columbus, Ohio, when he caught a knee to the head while making a save late in the second half of regulation. He left the field on a stretcher, and the club sent him to a local hospital for evaluation and testing, according to a team statement issued Thursday morning.[S1][S6]
By Thursday, the club described Bürki as alert and in good spirits. St. Louis said its medical staff would keep watching his condition and would share further updates when they were available. A separate report said he had been released from the hospital following the injury.[S1][S7]
A first trophy, won without him
The match itself finished 0-0, and St. Louis claimed the title in a penalty shootout against the Columbus Crew. Ben Lundt, the backup goalkeeper, came on in Bürki's place and made a decisive save during the shootout, delivering the club its first-ever trophy. While the team celebrated, the players held up a Bürki jersey in his honor.[S1]
Playoff picture and a streak that just ended
Losing Bürki, even briefly, arrives at a delicate moment. St. Louis City has four games left in the regular season before the playoffs begin. The club had climbed the MLS Western Conference table on a 21-match unbeaten run across all competitions, a stretch that ended the previous weekend in a 3-2 defeat to Minnesota United.[S1]
