A dominant first-half performance was more than good enough to see Houston Dynamo FC claim the 2023 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup championship at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. on Wednesday night.
The 2-1 win over Inter Miami CF marks the second time Houston has lifted the US Open Cup trophy, following the team’s first cup title in 2018.
Houston’s Ben Olsen also lifted his second Open Cup as a manager, but his first piece of silverware with Houston. Olsen previously claimed the Open Cup as manager of DC United in 2013.
“The road to get here is always a wild one,” Olsen said after the victory. “I’ve always respected this tournament. I’m romantic with it. It means a lot to me. Amateur teams get to play bigger teams, it’s always a neat concept and idea. D.C. United always took it in the right way, and we did that this year.”
Inter Miami CF struggled to generate chances, as the team was missing star Lionel Messi, who was held out of the match by manager Gerardo “Tata” Martino. Messi was substituted early in Miami’s 4-0 victory over Toronto last week and did not appear in the team’s 1-1 draw with Orlando on Sunday. Defender Jordi Alba was also held off the Miami team sheet.
“(Messi) will play before the season will be over” Martino told the press through a translator. “We will go match-by-match defining how things are going and seeing if the medical department will give him the OK to play without any medical risk.”
“We prepared all week for Messi and Alba,” Olsen said. “Let’s be honest, they’re a different team with and without them. I think they missed him tonight, and I think they missed Alba. That’s OK. They’re still a pretty good team.
“If I was missing Hector Herra tonight, it would have been a different game. But I’m not crying for them.”
Dynamo thoroughly controlled play in the first half, racking up 18 shots to Miami’s one.
Houston threatened early and often. Nelson Quiñónes found multiple opportunities in the first 20 minutes, forcing Miami’s defense into multiple last-grasp clearances. Miami’s attempt to play off the counter foundered, as Houston routinely pounced on Miami’s inability to clear out of its own half.
The first of the Houston goals came from Griffin Dorsey in the 24th minute. Dorsey received a ball from Artur, made a run into the right side of the box and fired a rocket of a shot from close range into the back of the net.
“Griffin is a great human, and the fact that I had him on the bench at the start of the season makes me think I was crazy,” Olsen said. “He is a great example of, as a player, when you’re not in favor, how to get out of it. At this point, there’s no way I’m taking him off the field.”
Just another day at the office for Griffin!#HoldItDownpic.twitter.com/fcPDXweN7r
— Houston Dynamo FC (@HoustonDynamo) September 28, 2023
Less than 10 minutes later, Miami defender DeAndre Yedlin caught Quiñónes in the box for a clear penalty opportunity. Amine Bassi took the attempt and converted on a low shot down the middle. A diving Drake Callendar had no chance. It was the second goal of the tournament (both from the penalty spot) for Bassi, who finished as the tournament’s leader with four assists.
The results weren’t just visible on the scoresheet. In the 39th minute, Miami midfielder Diego Gómez attempted to hold possession. Houston forward Corey Baird hounded him for possession, tracking him back yards before Gómez was forced to pass back into his own defense. The moment was a microcosm of Miami’s first-half frustration.
“I think we were so up for this match that we put so much into that,” Olsen said. “Really just dialed in. That takes a lot of stamina, both physically and mentally.”
Houston nearly sealed the match in the 73rd minute, as Quiñónes finally found the back of the net, but a VAR review found he was inches offside. Miami had life.
Inter Miami made the match interesting late in the second half, with a goal scored by Josef Martinez in the second minute of stoppage time. Facundo Farias played a ball into him into the box and Martinez was able to shield off a defender and launch a shot between the legs of goalkeeper Andrew Tarbell. But the Dynamo’s second-half defensive strategy held strong and paid off with a victory.
Martino attributed Miami’s sluggish start to both injury and fatigue. Wednesday’s final marks the 42nd game for the club, 29 in Major League Soccer, 7 in Leagues Cup and 6 in the US Open Cup.
Messi? Nah, we got Bassi pic.twitter.com/TKC56vJeZe
— Houston Dynamo FC (@HoustonDynamo) September 28, 2023
“We’ve been playing a number of matches. That has a cost, physically and mentally,” Martino said. “We have a final on Saturday, and another on Wednesday in Chicago. We can’t complain, but we’re attempting to do our best.”
In addition to lifting the club’s fourth major trophy (2006 MLS Cup, 2007 MLS Cup, 2018 US Open Cup), Houston claims $300,000 in prize money. The Dynamo already earned a spot in next year’s CONCACAF Champions League, as Inter Miami earned its bid into the competition by winning the Leagues Cup last month. Miami earned $100,000 as the runner-up.
