The Houston Dynamo won their second U.S. Open Cup title on Wednesday at DRV PNK Stadium after they notched a 2-1 win over Inter Miami, who were without Lionel Messi.
The Dynamo dominated from the start and were particularly aggressive in attack, which eventually resulted in the game's first goal in the 24th minute. A giveaway from Miami allowed the Dynamo attack to come alive, with Artur providing a smart little pass to Griffin Dorsey to smash the ball into the back of the net from close range.
Nine minutes later, Houston were able to double the lead after they received a penalty. Miami defender DeAndre Yedlin tackled Nelson Quinones in the box, allowing Amine Bassi to convert with ease from the penalty spot.
Miami slowly worked their way into the second half and had a flurry of shots in stoppage time, one of which resulted in a goal that gave the hosts hopes of winning the title alive. Facundo Farias sent the ball towards Josef Martinez, who scored from inside the box in the 92nd minute. It ultimately was not enough for Miami.
Messi did not make the game day 18 after several weeks of battling fatigue and his missing presence was notable, especially in a poor, sloppy first half.
This is the Dynamo's first trophy since their 2018 U.S. Open Cup triumph and the first since Ben Olsen was hired last year to undergo a rebuild.
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Despite an improved second half and a late goal, Houston's first half lead was enough to see the visitors win their second Open Cup title. Quinones was arguably the Dynamo's best player, especially after a strong first half performance.
90'+2 - Farias passes the ball to Martinez, who dashes towards the penalty area, waits to take the touch, and then puts the ball in the back of the net. There might just be a chance for the hosts to level the score with at least four minutes of stoppage time left.
73' - The visitors appeared to score a third, but there's a tight offside call on the play. The score stays at 2-0 to the visitors, and Miami perhaps can still see a way out of this deficit after a second half performance with some promise.
59' - Martinez is at it again and carves out a nice spot in the box, but slips and fails to capitalize on the opportunity. Miami's offense has finally arrived, though, and continue to test Tarbell and the Dynamo defense.
56' - Miami earn a freekick near the penalty area and Farias' ball finds Martinez's head, but the substitute sneds the shot over the crossbar. Without a doubt, that was Miami's best look of the night.
55' - The hosts started this half actually getting close to goal -- a rare sighting during the first 45 -- but have not added to their shot count, which still stands at one. The Dynamo are starting to find their legs in the second half, though, which could be bad news for Miami.
Miami make two subs at the half - Martinez and Arroyo come on fro Gomez and Taylor.
The visitors have run rampant during this first 45 and dominated in nearly way. In addition to the goals, the Dynamo have 18 shots, five of which were on target. Miami, by comparison, took just one off-target shot during the first half. The home fans might not be happy, but Dynamo owner James Harden sure is.
42' - It nearly took the entire half, but Inter Miami registered their first shot of the game. It was not necessarily a major opportunity for the hosts, though - Cremaschi's attempt from distance landed wide of the goal.
31' - Yedlin tackles Quinones from behind, which is a clear and obvious penalty for the Dynamo even after a VAR check. Bassi converts the penalty after going straight down the middle. It's going from bad to worse for Miami.
24' - It's been all Houston, all the time to start this final and they get the goal to back it up. The Dynamo spring into action after a giveaway from Inter Miami, and after a wonderful team sequence, Artur plays a smart little pass to Dorsey in the box, and he smashes it into the back of the net from close range for the game's opening goal.
23' - Quinones's impressive shot from an angle is matched by an equally impressive save from Callendar, though the goalkeeper ends up spilling it. Baird is unable to capitalize on the chance, which was probably the closest Houston have gotten to scoring all night.
So far both teams have had some good chances but the final ball just isn't there for either side. Houston's midfield has been able to turn the Herons over but Kamal Miller has made last-ditch interventions to stop an early goal from going in. When Miami gets forward, their decision making is just a bit too slow in order to lead to a goal. Chances are coming so it feels like only a matter of time until things settle before the game sees its first goal.
4' - Carrasquilla took the game's first shot from distance, but it sailed wide of the net and did little to threaten Miami's defense.
Inter Miami kick things off, and the 2023 U.S. Open Cup final is officially underway.
Miami still boasts a 2-1-1 record without Messi in the squad, and boasts some talent on the team that could see the pick up another trophy. The 21-year-old Farias will take Messi's place in the lineup and has impressed since joining the club over the summer. He has three goals and one assist, and has been one of Miami's most impressive newcomers other than the ex-Barcelona trio.
It's also worth noting that Miami has improved considerably since Martino arrived as the head coach a few weeks before Messi signed his deal. Charlie Davies provided the reminder in the pre-game show on CBS Sports Network.
As was previously reported, Messi will not dress for Miami tonight. Alba also misses out but Busquets is in the lineup and Farias will be the player to keep an eye on in Miami's attack. Here's how the hosts will start.
Inter Miami starting lineup: Callendar, Yedlin, Kryvtsov, Miller, Allen, Busequets, Cremaschi, Gomez, Farias, Campana, Taylor
Substitutes: Dos Santos, Arroyo, Aviles, Martinez, McVey, Ruiz, Stefanelli
As expected, Herrera will lead Houston as they aim for their first trophy under Olsen. Here's how they line up tonight.
Houston Dynamo starting lineup: Tarbell, Escobar, Sviatchenko, Michel, Dorsey, Carrasquilla, Herrera, Artur, Bassi, Baird, Quinones
Substitutes: Clark, Smith, Steres, Hadebe, Caicedo, Franco, Aliyu
Looking at players as they've gotten off the bus and entered the stadium, two key names weren't seen in that 18. Lionel Messi and Jordi Alba. While Alba was a doubt coming in, Tata Martino was expected to do everything that he could in order to get Messi to the squad tonight but it wasn't to be as he's not available tonight. Diego Gomez has returned following his injury on international duty with Paraguay.
While Inter Miami is very much known for their stars, the Houston Dynamo also come to this clash with a standout talent of their own. Mexican international Hector Herrera has been central to a major rebuild in Houston under Ben Olsen, both of whom joined the club last year. The head coach sang Herrera's praises before tonight's match.
"He's been massive. I've talked about it many times. He's helped me. We've fostered a very good relationship, one built on trust and freedom in some ways. He's been given the keys to this team and he understands that," Olsen said. "The group, the group dynamics, he has a real weight on his shoulders and responsibility to do well for the club and make sure he's a huge part of turning this club around as a [designated player], a lot of money was spent to bring him here and he understands all that."
Per TyC Sport, Messi will not be in the starting lineup tonight for Miami. This comes as little surprise considering his minutes have been very much managed over the last few weeks - he skipped two games for Miami and one for Argentina this month, and came off after roughly half an hour in Miami's win over Toronto a week ago.
Chuck Booth reports that the the verdict on Messi's playing time will be a game-time decision, and that a likely scenario would see him start on the bench. Inter Miami head coach Tata Martino played his cards close to his chest during his pre-match press conference -- he said Messi joined training after the period that was open to media ended, and that the team is well aware of the high-stakes encounter that is a cup final.
While this won't be Miami's first final of the season since they defeated Nashville SC in the Leagues Cup final, it will be the first final hosted at their home stadium tonight in the Open Cup final. While there is uncertainty on Messi's availability for the match, the Herons will do everything that they can to win this and their fans will be more than ready for the occasion. There's rain in the forecast but as long as the lightning can hold off, it will be business as usual tonight.
The latest edition of Messi mania is here, even if there are question marks about how big a role the star will play today. We will have the latest on his availability and from the game as Inter Miami and the Houston Dynamo eye the U.S. Open Cup trophy.
