9/16 - Semifinals

Columbus Crew vs Orlando City

Orlando enters the semifinals of the US Open Cup after an explosive 4-1 victory over Atlanta. Columbus, on the other hand, edged out New York City FC by a 1-0 scoreline. That was a very different Columbus Crew team. Gone are the likes of Max Arfsten and Diego Rossi, with the Crew building around a new core of players, highlighted by Brais Méndez and Santi Rodríguez. Orlando also have a new look about them, albeit with less turnover in the squad, thanks to the arrival of French superstar Antoine Griezmann. He's raised the play of those around him, and he has the Lions believing they have a real shot at winning this tournament for the second time in five years.

These two teams have gone in opposite directions since they advanced to the semifinals of this competition. Columbus have drifted further and further from the playoff picture, currently sitting in 13th in the East. With 7 losses in their last 8 matches across all competitions, it's been a really rough end of the summer for the Crew. Their inability to get pressure to the ball makes them too easy to play against. On the other side of the ball, they're still recovering from losing so much high-end talent. While Columbus' new additions certainly have the firepower to exploit Orlando's defense, they're currently lacking the cohesion as the new additions continue to find their footing in Ohio. Orlando come into this match in scorching form as they have risen up to sixth place in the East. With their arsenal of attacking weapons, the Lions are one of the most dangerous teams in the league. Martin Perelman is still working out how to get the best out of his defensive corps, but with more balance in midfield of late, the results have started to pile up. Orlando have taken 13 points from their previous 5 matches and look to continue their winning ways in the US Open Cup.

Colorado Rapids vs St. Louis City

In the last round, St. Louis City defeated the Houston Dynamo in shootouts, while Colorado beat San Jose in a convincing 2-0 victory. While these results came a while ago, both opponents have proven to be some of the best teams in the Western Conference, showing that both Colorado and St. Louis deserve to be in the semifinals. For the Colorado Rapids, it would be their second trip to the US Open Cup finals and a chance to win their first ever Open Cup trophy. As for St. Louis City, this is the closest that they've come to a trophy in their brief history.

Coming into this match, both teams have reason to feel confident. Under new manager Matt Wells, the Rapids have been playing a more attractive brand of soccer, emphasizing possession and winning the ball back immediately after turnovers. This style of play has been very effective at home; they have posted 6 consecutive shutout victories at DSG Park, where the semifinal will be played. Their defense will have to be immense again on Wednesday because St. Louis have not been shut out over the course of their 16 game unbeaten streak across all competitions. While their defense has been rock solid, the Rapids' attack has been struggling. In the 10 games since the World Cup break, the Rapids have scored multiple goals in a game just once. The good news is that new signings Sayed Abu Farkhi and Morgan Whittaker both made their debut last weekend. Colorado is still acclimating to life without Rafael Navarro, but with those two integrating into the side, their offense should become more dynamic and dangerous. Also without Navarro will be St. Louis, as he can't play against his former employer according to US Open Cup rules. With Simon Becher finding his form in late summer, St. Louis has the pieces to deal without Navarro. However, they are going to have to work extremely hard to control the game and break down the stingy Rapids defense. This semifinal between two surging Western Conference foes should be an intense game, both in terms of physicality and what is on the line: a trip to the US Open Cup finals.

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