The Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, American soccer’s oldest and most prestigious knockout tournament, has a long history of crowning unlikely heroes. Yet, few tournaments have seen a striker dominate with such brutal efficiency and decisive impact as Sam Surridge did in the 2025 edition. The Nashville SC forward didn't just win the Golden Boot as the top scorer; his incredible scoring run—culminating in the championship-winning goal—made him the undeniable centerpiece of the competition, delivering an MVP-caliber performance that secured the club's first-ever major trophy. Despite only playing in three of his team’s five games, Surridge tied the Modern Era’s single-tournament record with six goals. Surridge also became just the sixth Modern Era player to score a game-winning goal in three consecutive games and just the second player to score a hat trick in a Semifinal game. His performance was enough for him to be voted TheCup.us Player of the Tournament. The award is voted on by TheCup.us ...