Griffin Dorsey and Amine Bassi’s first-half goals propelled Houston to their second-ever Open Cup championship. The Dynamo made history by becoming the first visiting team to claim the Open Cup since 2015, securing the tournament’s $300,000 top prize in the process.
In the climactic match of the 108th Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, Houston Dynamo FC clinched their second U.S. Soccer National Championship by defeating Inter Miami CF 2-1 in front of a full crowd at DRV PNK Stadium in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, on September 27, 2023.
Griffin Dorsey and Amine Bassi found the net during the first half for Houston, while the seasoned midfield pair of captain Héctor Herrera and Artur effectively neutralized Inter Miami CF, who were missing key players Jordi Alba and reigning World Cup MVP Lionel Messi.
This victory not only earned Houston the tournament’s $300,000 grand prize but also secured their place in the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup following their Semifinal triumph. Notably, the Dynamo became the first away team to capture an Open Cup since Sporting Kansas City in 2015.
AND THATS GAME pic.twitter.com/NcqQ1a8w2h
— Houston Dynamo FC (@HoustonDynamo) September 28, 2023
Both teams started the match strongly, displaying robust tackling and an attacking mindset. However, Houston appeared to be the more formidable side. Corey Baird came close to scoring within the first 15 minutes when he narrowly missed redirecting a Nelson Quiñónes cross over the crossbar, serving as an early warning to the home team about Houston’s offensive capabilities.
Shortly thereafter, both Baird and Quiñónes had close calls. Quiñónes showcased his speed, eluding Miami captain DeAndre Yedlin and forcing goalkeeper Drake Callender into an impressive diving save, with Baird narrowly missing the rebound opportunity.
In the 24th minute, Baird turned provider, receiving a pass from Bassi and setting up Artur, who in turn assisted Dorsey. With his grandfather watching from the stands, Dorsey clinically struck the ball into the roof of the net, providing Houston with a crucial early lead.
Quiñónes’ speed came into play again just after the half-hour mark when he was fouled in the box by Yedlin. Referee Jon Freemon promptly awarded a penalty kick, and Bassi calmly converted it, extending Houston’s lead to 2-0 in the 33rd minute with a shot down the middle.
Houston created several more scoring opportunities in the first half but narrowly avoided conceding just before halftime when Miami’s Ben Cremaschi missed a volley from the top of the box.
In search of a spark, Miami’s coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino made halftime substitutions, including former Open Cup winner Josef Martinez. Martinez nearly brought the hosts back into the game with a dangerous strike in the 56th minute, but it narrowly missed the post.
Martinez did manage to score for Miami in the second minute of injury time, but it was too late as Houston effectively managed the match and raised the 2023 U.S. Open Cup trophy in front of their passionate traveling supporters.
LAMAR HUNT U.S. OPEN CUP FINAL MATCH REPORT
Inter Miami CF (Div. I MLS) vs. Houston Dynamo FC (Div. I MLS) – Championship Match September 27, 2023 – 8:30 p.m. ET – 76 degrees, humid DRV PNK Stadium; Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. (attendance TBA)
Scoring Summary: 1 2 F
MIA 0 1 1
HOU 2 0 2
Griffin Dorsey (Artur) 24th minute
Amine Bassi (penalty kick) 33 Josef
Martinez (Facundo Farías) 90+1
Lineups:
MIA: 1-Drake Callender, 2-DeAndre Yedlin (Capt.) (41-David Ruiz, 76), 5-Sergio Busquets, 8-Diego Gómez (3-Dixon Arroyo Espinoza, 46), 9-Leonardo Campana, 11-Facundo Farías, 16-Robert Taylor (17-Josef Martínez, 46), 27-Sergii Kryvtsov, 30-Benjamin Cremaschi (22-Nicolas Stephenelli, 84), 31-Kamal Miller, 32-Noah Allen Substitutes not used: 29-CJ Dos Santos, 4-Christopher McVey, 6-Tomás Avilés Head coach: Gerardo Martino
HOU: 13-Andrew Tarbell, 2-Franco Escobar, 6-Artur, 8-Amine Bassi (27-Luís Caicedo, 84), 11-Corey Baird (18-Aliyu Ibrahim, 84), 16-Héctor Herrera (Capt.), 20-Adalberto Carrasquilla (17-Teenage Hadebe, 91), 21-Nelson Quiñónes (3-Brad Smith, 79), 25-Griffin Dorsey, 28-Erik Sviatchenko, 31-Micael Substitutes not used: 12-Steve Clark, 5-Daniel Steres, 7-Iván Franco Head coach: Ben Olsen
Stats Summary: MIA / HOU
Shots: 12 / 19
Shots on Goal: 4 / 5
Saves: 3 / 3
Corner Kicks: 6 / 5
Fouls: 8 / 10
Offside: 1 / 5
Misconduct Summary:
HOU – Franco Escobar (caution) 12th minute
MIA – Sergii Kryvtsov (caution) 16
MIA – Noah Allen (caution) 19
MIA – DeAndre Yedlin (caution) 32
Officials:
Referee: Jon Freemon
AR1 & 2: Cameron Blanchard, Logan Brown
4th Official: Guido Gonzales, Jr.
VAR: Younes Marrakchi
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