Inter Miami Preps For US Open Cup Final

Good morning! Inter Miami will play for their second trophy in club history tomorrow as they take on the Houston Dynamo in the US Open Cup Final.

The Herons are also still in the playoff hunt after a 1-1 draw against Orlando City. It’s been a busy week so far for the men in pink, but can they make it worth it by winning the US Open Cup?

In the email today:

Miami will look to win their second trophy this year, as they get ready to take on the Houston Dynamo in the Open Cup Final.

The Herons will be heading into Wednesday’s game on short rest, with just two days between their last match against Orlando City and tomorrow’s final

The biggest talking point heading into the match is whether Lionel Messi will be fit in time. For the last few matches, Messi has been dealing with a lingering thigh injury that kept him out of Miami’s game vs. Orlando.

According to Argentine journalist Gaston Edul, Messi is highly likely to participate in the final, but it remains to be seen if he starts the match.

“I cannot confirm that Messi will be a starter in the final, but he will participate. The club will wait until tomorrow's training to make a final decision on his participation.”

• Miami will hope Messi can be ready for the final.

• If not, it’s likely he’ll come off the bench.

• It will be a tough match, with the Houston Dynamo winning three of their last six matches.

Our take: With or without Messi, Miami will come prepared. If the Argentine starts, then the Herons have a major chance to win the match. However, that all depends on his health and if head coach Tata Martino and Miami’s medical team decide the World Cup winner is fit enough to play.

2) 🔢 Crunching The Numbers For The Playoffs

With their draw vs. Orlando, Miami has kept themselves in a prime position to make the playoffs.

Although a win would’ve taken them to 11th on the table, a draw against their state rivals is more than enough to keep them in contention.

• Miami is just five points back from eighth and ninth place.

• The Herons still have games in hand ahead of DC United.

• With five games to go, Miami will have the opportunity to end the season on 47 points, which should be good enough for ninth place.

Our take: Look, it won’t be easy for the Herons, but, with their current form and a manager who knows how to get the best out of his players, they should have the momentum to just sneak into the post-season.

3) 🤷 How Does A Team Stop Messi?

Houston Dynamo manager Ben Olsen will try his best!

4) 📊 Poll: Will Messi Start?

Have additional thoughts? Reply directly to this email to comment, and see if we include your response tomorrow.

Results from our last poll: Who Stood Out The Most vs. Orlando?

Most of you voted for Noah Allen!

5) 🔗 Link Roundup:

• 🇧🇷 According to a report from Goal, it appears that Neymar is already looking to leave Saudi Arabia, with the hope of reuniting with his boyhood club Santos.

• 🦁 After the 1-1 draw against Miami on Sunday, an Orlando fan was spotted carrying a pink Inter Miami jersey after the match. Guess they support both teams!

• 💻 Ahead of their US Open Cup Final, Inter Miami put up a Twitter/X thread, looking back at the club’s road to the final.

The newsletter today was written by: Alex Windley @aaw_1998

Thanks for reading! Catch you on the flip side!