On Wednesday, September 26, Inter Miami suffered a defeat in the US Open Cup final, where they were defeated 2-1 by the Houston Dynamo despite the presence of their influential key player Lionel Messi, observing from the edge of the field.
Messi has already played a pivotal role in propelling the team to its first major trophy in its history. Throughout its tenure since becoming a member in July, he was unable to participate in the game due to an injury. However, he was present, watching from the sidelines at Miami’s DRV PNK Stadium.
In the absence of legend player Messi, Miami appeared disorganized as Houston quickly scored two goals in the first half, with Griffin Dorsey and Amine Bassi finding the back of the net.
Despite Josef Martínez's late goal during injury time that brought hope to Miami, Houston managed to maintain their lead and secure their fourth major trophy, marking their first victory under head coach Ben Olsen.
"It's an epic moment for the club, the team, and all of Houston," stated Dorsey, the right back for Houston, during an interview with CBS sideline reporter Susannah Collins.
"I believe that the Houston Dynamo has gone through a challenging period, but this experience will establish our presence and demonstrate our ability to compete in the MLS, Open Cup, Leagues Cup, or any other cup or league we participate in."
Olsen, who used to play for the US men's national team and won the US Open Cup as the head coach of DC United, credited his midfielders Héctor Herrera, Coco Carrasquilla, Bassi, and Artur as the main contributors to the win.
"The outcome of this game would be determined in that aspect. If our central midfielders performed to their highest capabilities, we would stand a strong chance of winning tonight. And they indeed delivered," he stated.
"In the first half, we witnessed some truly stunning moments, especially led by the outstanding performance of Héctor. He performed incredibly well. As for Artur, his consistently high level of play is always expected. Additionally, Coco's ability to move forward aggressively and surpass his opponents greatly complements their playing style. Lastly, the coordination between all of them, particularly Bassi, is remarkably seamless and natural."
"We provide them with a framework for achieving success, but much of their performance is based on intuition and the connections they have with those four individuals. Their interactions are natural and enjoyable, and they genuinely enjoy collaborating with one another."
The loss in Miami dampens the hope that has surrounded the team ever since Messi joined earlier this summer.
Lionel Messi, who is 36 years old, has successfully guided the club to win the Leagues Cup and has played a significant role in improving the club's performance in the league.
Nevertheless, Miami encountered difficulties in posing a consistent offensive challenge to the Houston defense during the US Open Cup final, as both Messi and his former Barcelona teammate, Jordi Alba, were absent due to injuries.
Following the loss, Gerardo 'Tata' Martino, the manager of Inter Miami, expressed that his team has been negatively affected by their hectic schedule.
Martino stated that what he witnessed was a tired and depleted team. He recognized that continuous participation in numerous games would inevitably result in negative effects.
"We have begun to experience the effects of injuries and we have also started to experience the effects on how well something works."