Taking on Lionel Messi is 'extra motivation' for Houston Dynamo in U.S. Open Cup final, says Hector Herrera

Dynamo are set to go toe-to-toe with Inter Miami in the U.S. Open Cup final this week but there have been some doubts over the fitness of Messi. The World Cup winner missed training on Tuesday, although Dynamo boss Ben Olsen suspects he will play.

Herrera, as a result, is excited by the prospect of going head-to-head with a player he regards as the best in the world. Indeed, since his move to the United States, Messi has scored 11 goals and provided five assists in 12 games.

Herrera said: "We know that it is going to be a very difficult match that is going to require us to be one hundred percent and concentrated for more than ninety minutes.

"We are very motivated, confident that we can achieve something important, but we know that along the way there is a very strong rival led on the bench by Tata (Martino) and on the field by the best in the world (referring to Messi), so for us it is an extra motivation."

Inter and Dynamo will go head-to-head on Wednesday evening at the DRV PNK Stadium.