After lifting its first trophy with Lionel Messi, Major League Soccer’s (MLS) Inter Miami finished as runners-up in Messi’s absence .Inter Miami fell to the Houston Dynamo 1-2 in the U.S. Open Cup final on Sunday (Sept. 28) at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Messi, who was not on the roster at all due to injury, watched the match from the stands .Inter Miami was outplayed by Toronto throughout the match and made a late comeback, but it wasn’t enough to turn the game around. They conceded a goal in the 24th minute to Toronto’s Griffin Dossey and a penalty nine minutes later to Amin Bassi.I nter Miami managed to pull a goal back through Josef Martinez just before the end of regulation. Messi’s absence was especially stinging for Inter Miami, which last month lifted its first-ever trophy in the League Cup, which features club teams from the United States, Canada, and Mexico, on the back of a seven-match goal streak. Messi was reportedly injured while traveling with the Argentina national team during an A-match earlier this month. Miami head coach Herrardo Martino (Argentina) said at the time, “Messi is out with muscle fatigue,” adding, “It’s not a situation where he can play at full strength. It’s not a situation that allows him to play at full strength .”Back in the U.S., Inter tasted defeat for the first time in 13 games since Messi joined the team, going 2-5 in Atlanta without him. Messi appeared to have recovered from his injury when he started the team’s MLS Round 33 match against Toronto on Sept. 21, but he left the field prematurely in the 37th minute and was 바카라사이트 removed from the roster for the day.