ESPN.com · Sep 29, 2023
Messi-less Miami's U.S. Open Cup loss signals problems ahead
Things just aren't the same when you can't rely on arguably the greatest soccer player of all time. With Argentine superstar and World Cup-winner Lionel Messi left off the gameday roster due to a muscle injury, Inter Miami slumped to a 2-1 home loss against the Houston Dynamo in Wednesday's U.S. Open Cup final.
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Messi, looking somber and melancholic when the camera cut to him in the stands after the final whistle, could do little else but watch as his team failed to find a way to compensate for his gargantuan absence. Coupled with an additional injury for key figure Jordi Alba, Miami were listless during a majority of the championship game.