U.S. Open Cup Final: Team news, broadcast options, preview for Inter Miami vs. Houston Dynamo on Sept. 27, 2023

Topics: TV Schedules, Inter Miami, Houston Dynamo, U.S. Open Cup

The Herons lock horns with the 2018 U.S. Open Cup champions in a highly-anticipated final. Here is everything you need to know about this fixture.

Where can I watch the U.S. Open Cup final live on TV?

This highly-anticipated Inter Miami vs. Houston Dynamo showdown will be aired live on TV in the USA on CBS Sports Network, Universo, Telemundo, and TyC Sports Internacional. Unfortunately, this game will not be aired on TV in Canada and will not be broadcast in the UK and Australia. If you live elsewhere, please check our dedicated match page for further information on how to follow this game live on TV in your country.

Where can I stream the U.S. Open Cup final live?

Fans in the USA can steam this clash on Peacock, Paramount+, UNIVERSO NOW, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, and Fanatiz. As mentioned earlier, the U.S. Open Cup final will not be broadcast in the UK or Australia. Fans in Canada, however, can stream this showdown live via DAZN. If you live elsewhere, please check our dedicated match page for further information on how to stream this game live in your country.

Preview

For the second time in just over a month, Inter Miami prepare for a final, with the MLS franchise gearing up for the U.S. Open Cup title-deciding match this time around. The Herons had to overcome Nashville in the Leagues Cup finale but now it is Houston Dynamo standing in their way, with Tata Martino's men looking to lift the title on home soil.

All eyes will be on Lionel Messi again; however, this time, it is due to concerning reasons. In the build-up to the Leagues Cup final last month, the Argentine was in spectacular form and showed why he is one of the greatest players in the history of the game by scoring a brilliant goal past their rivals. However, question marks linger over his availability for this tie.

The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner picked up an issue in the 4-0 win over Toronto and sat out his team's most recent fixture, the 1-1 draw with Florida rivals Orlando City. Martino has not ruled out the 2022 World Cup winner but the club and fans are sweating over the Argentine's fitness.

Nonetheless, while Messi's arrival has turned the club's fortunes around, Inter Miami have shown they are capable of winning games in his absence. The Herons were thrashed 5-2 by Atlanta United in a game in which La Pulga was rested but Martino's men overcame Toronto 4-0 in Leo's absence.

Furthermore, they head into this tie on the back of their one-all draw with Orlando City over the weekend. A handful of key players missed that tie and yet they still picked up a point against the Eastern Conference's second-placed team.

Furthermore, Inter Miami, who will be playing this final at their DRV PNK Stadium, overcame tough opposition to reach this stage, beating Cincinnati on penalties in the semifinal and overcoming Nashville in the round of 16. Will Messi and Co. beat Houston Dynamo on Wednesday and lift only the second piece of silverware in this club's history?

Houston Dynamo, who are technically the away side despite this being a one-off final, will hope to prevent Inter Miami from enjoying this game at the heart of Florida as they aim to bring this title back to Texas for the first time since 2018.

The Orange Crush, who, unlike Inter Miami, have won the MLS Cup before, have not lifted a trophy since their U.S. Open Cup victory in 2018. The Western Conference outfit beat the Philadelphia Union 3-0 in the final and will be aiming for a similarly convincing win over the Herons.

Unfortunately, Ben Olsen's side enter this clash on the back of an undesirable result, having lost 2-1 to a Sporting KC side Inter Miami beat 3-2 earlier this month. Nonetheless, that result matters little to the Texas outfit as they are still fourth in the Western Conference table and are well on their way to the final series.

Additionally, unlike their opponents, Hector Herrera and Co. did not need penalties to make it to the final. However, they did require extra time, beating Real Salt Lake 3-1 after initially drawing 1-1 after normal time.

And while Houston Dynamo have won only twice in their last five games, the away side have a better record in attack and defense than Inter Miami in the U.S. top flight. However, much of this preceded the arrival of Lionel Messi, thus proving the importance of the Argentine once more.

Team news

Inter Miami: Tata Martino revealed that Lionel Messi stands a chance of featuring in this final but Jordi Alba is unlikely to recover in time. Meanwhile, Sergio Busquets did not feature in the 1-1 draw with Orlando City but should be fine for this game.

Houston Dynamo: Amine Bassi, the club's top scorer, missed the 2-1 loss to Sporting KC due to injury but could return to the lineup for this game. However, Ifunanyachi Achara remains sidelined and will miss this tie.

Key stats

Houston Dynamo have beaten Inter Miami in two of their three previous encounters (L1).
However, the Herons have won all but three of their last 15 matches across all competitions.
The Orange Crush have only seven victories over a similar number of games.
No team with five games under their belt in this competition has scored more goals (13) or conceded fewer goals (2) than the Houston Dynamo.
However, the Herons have scored 13 goals in their last five matches compared to Houston's eight.