Football great Lionel Messi was visibly taken aback by Houston Dynamo’s first goal in their 2-1 victory over Inter Miami.
A troublesome muscular fatigue issue forced the Argentine superstar to sit out the US Open Cup final. The Herons’ season-long quest to repeat their Leagues Cup heroics ended in heartbreak at the showpiece.
Nonetheless, the Vice City captain seemed to accept the loss with dignity, and his shock at Houston’s first goal was plain to see. Griffin Dorsey, a winger for Houston, opened the scoring with a beautiful shot from outside the box.
The onrushing wide player smashed the ball past the flailing goalkeeper of Miami after being set up by a deft pass from teammate Artur. Messi, who was out with an injury, watched from the stands as the ball sailed into the upper corner of the goal.
The 36-year-old fan in the stands could be seen taking a deep breath of surprise as the camera panned to him. Ten minutes later, Amine Bassi doubled the visitors’ lead from the penalty spot, and his team conceded again.
It was a bad day at the office for Miami, as they were unable to put much pressure on their opponents. Even though Josef Martinez scored a late-game consolation goal, Houston still came out on top to win the championship.
Messi’s disappointment at not receiving a second winners medal in his brief career with his new team was evident at game’s end. David Beckham, who is a co-owner of the team, and he both looked devastated as the camera panned back to them.
Miami’s head coach Gerardo Martino defended the decision to rest his captain due to his fitness woes after the team’s heartbreaking late-game loss at DRV PNK Stadium. ‘It wasn’t wise for him to play,’ he said, “not even to consider him for a few minutes.”
“We’ll take it match by match and see if the med center gives us the green light.” He continued, describing the general weariness of his team as the result of so many games: “I saw a worn team.
Inter Miami’s match on Saturday would have to be played by the coaching staff if this game went into extra time. We knew that playing so many games would take a toll on our bodies and performances, and that day finally came.
