Lionel Messi and Inter Miami will have to wait for their second title. The Herons lost on Wednesday the US Open Cup final, falling 2-1 against Houston Dynamo. The Argentine footballing superstar watched from the stands, out with an injury since early September.

The team led by Gerardo “Tata” Martino struggled to take control of the match despite having most of the possession. Houston hit in the first half, where they created the most chances. Just 24 minutes in, Houston’s Griffin Dorsey scored the opener after a lightning-quick counter. Another counter 10 minutes later would lead to Inter’s DeAndre Yedlin conceding a penalty, which Amine Bassi would score to make it 2-0.

In the second half, the Herons regained some control over the game, but its efforts proved fruitless, with Houston’s goalkeeper Andrew Tarbell denying them the chance to get back into the game. Only in the 92nd minute, in added time, was striker Josef Martínez able to score Inter’s first goal but it was too little, too late.

The Herons thus missed on the chance to add a second trophy to its cabinet, after winning the Leagues Cup last August.

“It wouldn’t have been prudent for [Messi] to play, that’s clear,” Martino said after the game. “He couldn’t have even played a few minutes, because that would’ve put him at risk.”

Inter Miami will now focus squarely on the challenge of its Playoffs bid, looking to make a comeback after struggling earlier in the season. It now sits five points away from a Wild Card round spot in 9th, currently in the hands of New York City FC. The Herons also hold the advantage of having two games in hand from NYCFC. 

However, Messi’s availability for those games is still undetermined.

“‘Leo’ will surely play again before the league season’s end, but we’ll evaluate him on a game-by-game basis, depending on what the medical department tells us,” Martino said.

This could prove to be a headache for Lionel Scaloni, coach of Argentina’s men’s national football team. The Albiceleste is set to host Paraguay on October 12, and then visit Peru on October 17 for the South American Qualifiers and Messi’s absence is a very real possibility. 

If Messi’s injury troubles persist well into the MLS Playoffs as Martino suggests, he could also miss two of the most important fixtures in the qualifiers, against Uruguay and Brazil in November.