Sept. 11 (2019)

St. Louis FC’s Sam Fink is voted U.S. Open Cup Lower Division Player of the Tournament  in balloting conducted by TheCup.us. He helped St. Louis FC reach the quarterfinals of the Cup with four consecutive wins, the last two over MLS representatives Chicago Fire and FC Cincinnati. A defender from Edwardsville, Ill., charged with helping stop goals, Fink became the goal provider against FC Cincinnati on June 19 when he headed a corner kick from Lewis Hilton into the net, three minutes into stoppage time, for the only goal of the night. The victory advanced St. Louis FC to the quarterfinals, where they lost, 2-0, to MLS side Atlanta United, which went on to win the Cup. Fink’s performances in St. Louis FC’s five Cup matches lead to his election as Lower Division Player of the Tournament. He is the first defender to win the award.