(Fort Lauderdale) Deprived of its superstar Lionel Messi, injured, Inter Miami lost in the final of the United States Cup against the Houston Dynamo on Wednesday (2-1), in its stadium in Fort Lauderdale.
After its victory in the League Cup in August, Inter Miami was unable to win a second trophy, handicapped by the absence on the field of ex-Barça stars Lionel Messi and Jordi Alba.
A certain vagueness surrounds the physical state of Messi, present in the stands on Wednesday, since he returned from the selection at the beginning of September with “muscle fatigue”, according to his trainer Gerardo “Tata” Martino. The Argentine world champion, aged 36, has since played only 37 minutes against Toronto on September 20, missing three matches.
PHOTO CHRIS ARJOON, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE ARCHIVES
Lionel Messi
Without its playing master, who arrived in July after a bitter experience at Paris Saint-Germain, Miami, slow and overwhelmed, conceded two goals in the first half, with a powerful strike from Griffin Dorsey (24e) and on a penalty from former Nancy Amine Bassi (33e).
Josef Martinez reduced the score in added time (90e+2), under the eyes of David Beckham, Zinédine Zidane and even NBA star James Harden, who came to encourage Houston, where he played for nine years for the Rockets basketball franchise.
The United States Cup is the oldest soccer competition in the country, created in 1914, and open to professional and amateur clubs alike.
In the league, Inter Miami is 14the and penultimate in the Eastern Conference, five points from first qualifying place for the playoffs, with five games still to go.