Houston defeats Inter Miami to win 2023 U.S. Open Cup

Messi was hardly alone in his awe. Houston was spectacular Wednesday night, and its convincing 2-1 victory sealed the club's first trophy in five years.

"All year we've been trying to build something," Houston coach Ben Olsen said after the game, per The Athletic. "We've got a long way to go, but this helps, this speeds up some things."

This win is validation for Houston, a long-running MLS club with plenty of victories in its history but precious little to celebrate in recent years. Coach Olsen has led a Houston renaissance on the field in 2023, encouraging his team to play fearless, fluid soccer and the franchise's back office has worked hard to follow suit. Recent ownership changes, including the addition of NBA star James Harden, have reinvigorated the public's interest in the club, and with more eyes on the team than ever before, this trophy could not have come at a better time.

The U.S. Open Cup is the longest-running tournament in U.S. Soccer. Its first iteration, run in 1914, was the first cross-continental soccer competition in the country, and it featured amateur and semi-professional teams from all over the United States. That spirit still exists in the tournament today; MLS's best compete against amateurs, and everyone has a chance to make it to the final game. It's one of the most important prizes in American soccer and certainly the most storied — and with this win, Houston has had the honor of lifting it twice.

The first half was all Houston, with Nelson Quinones, Amine Bassi and Adalberto Carrasquilla passing circles around Miami's stagnant midfield. Defender Griffin Dorsey scored Houston's first goal in the 23rd minute, finding space on the right side of the box and firing a laser of a shot past the near post.

Bassi scored a second when Miami's DeAndre Yedlin conceded a penalty a few minutes later, and while Miami came back stronger in the second half, Houston held it back with relative ease. The Herons snatched back a goal through Josef Martinez in injury time, but Houston's domination was never in question. 

Both Houston and Miami will return to MLS play this weekend, with spots in the playoffs on the line. Houston, currently fourth in the Western Conference, should qualify; Miami, second from bottom in the East, needs to be close to perfect in its remaining games to fight for a third trophy this season.