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Houston Dynamo midfielder Héctor Herrera admitted that he would have liked to face Lionel Messi in the US Open Cup final. The Argentine was out injured for Inter Miami when they lost 2-1 to Houston Dynamo earlier this week.
Speaking to the media after the win, the Mexican footballer revealed that the Houston players grew in confidence after it was announced that Messi would miss the game.
However, he added that the Inter Miami side were still capable of winning and needed to be sharp on the pitch. He said:
"It's a shame, [as] everyone wants to play against the best player in the world. The best player in history. It is true that when we found out that he was not playing, we thought we had a little more chance. We know the quality and how decisive he can be in the last minutes. He would have found spaces for you or scored goals that others don't see. It doesn't mean that they don't have quality, but he is the best player in the world."
Houston Dynamo's head coach Ben Olsen did not echo similar sentiments and believed that Inter Miami were significantly weaker without the Argentine and Jordi Alba. He said:
"There are definitely different when he's not on the field. I think they missed him tonight and I think they missed Alba. But that's okay. They're still a pretty good team and they've put together in a short amount of time an incredible group."
Griffin Dorsey and Amine Bassi scored in the first half for Houston Dynamo while Inter Miami's only goal in the game came via Josef Martinez in injury time.
Why did Lionel Messi miss the US Open Cup final?
Inter Miami manager Tata Martino revealed ahead of the US Open Cup final that Lionel Messi was not available for the match. He said:
"It was not prudent for him to play. Too risky, even for a few minutes. He will play in league games going forward, but will go game by game based on what the medical team tells us."
Inter Miami next face New York City FC in the MLS at the DRV PNK Stadium on Saturday. Lionel Messi's side remain five points away from the playoff spots but have two games in hand.
