Football
Houston Dynamo Beats Messi-Less Inter Miami to Win US Open Cup
by privatebet.com - 2023/09/28
Inter Miami did everything in their power to lift the US Open Cup, but they couldn’t do it without Lionel Messi. Their star player had to miss the match with injury, and they failed to stand their ground without him, eventually losing the trophy to the Houston Dynamo. Houston was on fire during the first half, and Inter Miami’s players failed in every attempt to stop them. Griffin Dorsey’s opening goal and Amine Bassi’s penalty put the Dynamo in the 2-0 lead before the second half even kicked off, and Josef Martinez’s late goal for Miami in stoppage time was nothing but a consolation for Miami. Inter Miami’s loss left a sour taste in fans’ mouths, and they couldn’t help but wonder if the outcome would’ve been different if Messi was around. Miami manager Gerardo Martino, who worked with Messi while coaching the Argentina national team and FB Barcelona, never even considered including him in this match considering his injury. "It was not prudent for him to play. We couldn't even consider playing him for a few minutes because we would be taking risks," said Martino and added that Messi will "certainly play before the league is over." The 2023 US Open Cup final took place at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on September 27, and it marks the second title victory for the Houston Dynamo.