Messi Misses Out As Inter Miami Lost To Houston Dynamo In US Open Cup Final

Lionel Messi was missing out in action as his MLS side, Inter Miami succumbed to a 2-1 defeat to Houston Dynamo in the US Open Cup final.

The Argentine superstar didn’t make the match-day squad and his team was devoid of inspiration throughout the encounter.

After a sloppy and slippery opening 10 minutes, which at times proved difficult to watch in wet conditions, Houston slowly began to exert their dominance on proceedings against a Miami side that almost looked shellshocked by the loss of their main man.

Eventually, it was the superb Nelson Quinones who carved out the first decent opening of the night, latching onto a pass from Andre Bassi and pulling the trigger just inside the area, only to be denied by a superb sliding block from Kamal Miller.

Over the next five minutes, the 21-year-old would continue to terrorize DeAndre Yedlin down Houston’s left flank, leaving the Miami right-back for dead in the 18th minute before drilling the ball across to Corey Baird, whose header sailed over the crossbar.

Miami simply could not get going on their big night at DRV PNK Stadium. In the opening 20 minutes, they failed to register a single shot.

In the 24th minute, just moments after Callender made an incredible double save to keep them out, Houston finally got what they deserved when Griffin Dorsey fired home the first goal of the final.

Miami certainly huffed and puffed after the interval as the likes of Martinez, Campana, and Farias stepped things up a gear. Though for all their efforts, Houston goalkeeper Andrew Tarbell barely had a save to make.

The visitors almost made them pay on the break in the 70th minute, with Carrasquilla’s lob towards the back post briefly worrying Callender before the ball went out of play.

Quinones then thought he had put the final nail in Miami’s coffin with 15 minutes remaining. The Colombian finished another exquisite Houston move by looping the ball into the top-right corner, only for VAR to intervene and deem that he was in an offside position.

Just as it seemed their best chances had passed them by, Martinez raised the roof when he latched onto a long ball into the box and bundled home past Tarbell. All of a sudden, a home crowd that flocked to this stadium hoping for another fairytale evening was dreaming of a last-gasp comeback.

In the end, it proved too little too late for a Messi-less Miami, who were left to rue the absence of their talisman and captain as Houston ran out winners.