MLS2 hours ago2 minute read

Roman Burki Taken to Hospital After Head Injury in Open Cup Final

St. Louis goalkeeper Roman Burki went to the hospital after a head collision during Wednesday night's match against Columbus Crew.

The EagleEyeOdds deskWritten from the match data, checked against our model before it goes out

Head injury stops Open Cup final

St. Louis City goalkeeper Roman Bürki was taken to the hospital on Wednesday night following a head injury in the U.S. Open Cup final against the Columbus Crew. The collision happened in the 70th minute of the match.

Bürki went down while attempting to make a save. During the play, he took a knee to the head from Columbus Crew winger Anass Zaroury. The match was tied 0-0 when the collision occurred.

Medical staff rushed onto the field to treat the St. Louis captain. Bürki remained on the ground for several minutes to receive medical care before team staff stretchered him off the field.

Health update and match performance

As medical personnel took Bürki away from the pitch, he was able to wave to the supporters in the stands. St. Louis confirmed that the goalkeeper was conscious and moving all of his extremities while traveling to the hospital.

Bürki had played a big part in keeping the game tied at 0-0 up to that point. The goalkeeper had 43 touches and made three saves before the head injury forced him out.

Among those stops was a corner kick from Brais Méndez that looked goalbound. Bürki also stopped a flurry of shots right before the injury happened. He joined St. Louis from Borussia Dortmund in 2022. Goalkeeper Ben Lundt came on to replace him.

Extra time required after long delay

The medical treatment on the field caused a long delay in the second half. Officials added eleven minutes of injury time to regulation as a result of the stoppage.

Columbus outshot St. Louis 16-3 across regulation play. Still, neither side managed to find a goal before the final whistle of regulation. The match stayed 0-0 and moved into extra time.

What it means for the next game

Columbus Crew vs Toronto FC (MLS, Sat, 24 Oct): Columbus Crew win 58%, draw 22%, Toronto FC win 20%; expected goals 2.01 to 1.09. Our safest pick: Over 1.5 goals.

Real Salt Lake vs St. Louis CITY SC (MLS, Sun, 25 Oct): Real Salt Lake win 37%, draw 25%, St. Louis CITY SC win 38%; expected goals 1.52 to 1.55. Our safest pick: Over 1.5 goals.