Inter Miami suffered a final defeat against Houston.
Lionel Messi was no help for Inter in the final. EPA / AOP
Lionel Messi lacked Inter Miami’s strength as his side suffered a 2–1 loss in the US Open Cup final against the Houston Dynamo.
Messi was not fit to play. The Argentinian’s situation was tense until the announcement of the lineup. In the end, a slight leg problem during the last national match break kept the man on the sidelines.
Covering up the matter was a big deal from the point of view of the market, because Messi has explosively raised the prices of tickets for Inter’s games with his mere presence. No exception was seen this time either.
According to ESPN, ticket prices ranged from $145 to $4,000 an hour before the game. Messi’s absence from the field could therefore be a costly disappointment for many.
Other world stars also sparkled in the audience.
For example, Real Madrid and French football legend Zinedine Zidane and a basketball series that belongs to the top of the NBA James Harden had arrived at the DRV PNK stadium. Harden is a co-owner of Dynamo.
Despite the injury, the cameras followed Messi’s every move, dressed in civilian clothes. The world champion watched from the fence by Robert Taylor and excerpts from partners. The Finnish player was marked on the left wing in the lineup. Taylor was substituted at halftime with Houston leading by two goals.
Venezuela traded for Taylor Josef Martinez scored the tying goal in overtime.
After the final, Inter’s head coach From Tata Martino was asked about Messi’s situation. The former Argentina national team manager revealed that he could not put his number one player on the field.
– Not even for a minute. Yes, he will still play before the end of the season, Martino says according to Athletic.