Lionel Messi-less Inter Miami face 2-1 defeat to Houston Dynamo in US Open Cup final

NEW DELHI: Houston Dynamo secured their second US Open Cup victory with a 2-1 win over Inter Miami on Wednesday in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Griffin Dorsey and Amine Biassi scored crucial goals for Houston before halftime. The final match saw Inter Miami missing star players Lionel Messi and Jordi Alba due to injuries, and the absence of these key figures had an impact on the team's performance. Houston's goalkeeper, Andrew Tarbell, made three crucial saves to help secure the victory for the Dynamo. This triumph marks Houston's second US Open Cup win, previously achieving the feat in 2018, all under the leadership of first-year manager Ben Olsen. Houston now joins the ranks of the seven MLS teams that have won the US Open Cup on multiple occasions. Notably, Olsen becomes only the third manager to win this historic national football competition with two different clubs, having previously guided D.C. United to victory in 2013. Inter Miami had to face the final match without Messi, who has been dealing with a lower-body muscle issue since his recent participation with the Argentina national team. Despite the absence of Messi, Inter Miami had previously triumphed in the 2023 Leagues Cup, led by the Argentine star's 10 goals in that competition last month. As a result, both Miami and Houston have earned spots in the 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup. The first half of the match was dominated by Houston, with the Dynamo establishing a well-deserved 2-0 lead before Inter Miami could even manage their first shot on goal. Griffin Dorsey initiated the scoring in the 24th minute with a well-executed team attack that started with Corey Baird's move from the left flank. Baird passed the ball to Artur in the center channel, who then directed it further to the right for the overlapping run of Baird. Baird controlled the ball and fired a powerful shot past goalkeeper Drake Callender from around 10 yards out. Seven minutes later, Nelson Quinones broke through the Miami defense and was fouled by DeAndre Yedlin just inside the 18-yard box. In the 33rd minute, Amine Biassi calmly converted the resulting penalty kick, leaving Callender with no chance as he guessed the wrong direction. Biassi nearly set up Quinones for a third goal in the second half, but a VAR review led the referee to rule Quinones fractionally offside. Inter Miami added some drama to the final moments when Josef Martinez capitalized on Facundo Farias' through ball and slotted a low finish through Tarbell's legs in the second minute of second-half stoppage time. However, it was too little, too late for Inter Miami as Houston Dynamo emerged as the US Open Cup champions once again. (With Reuters inputs)