Inter Miami didn’t miss Leo Messi's absence during their visit to Shell Energy Stadium in the second round of the MLS and secured their first win of the season after a convincing 1-4 victory over Houston Dynamo, with a stunning goal from Luis Suárez rounding off the win. A double disappointment for Houston Dynamo fans... which was compensated by an interesting initiative from the club.

Why didn’t Leo Messi play against Houston Dynamo?

The absence of Leo Messi is due to the effective management plan by Javier Mascherano, aiming to have him in the best possible condition for the decisive part of the season. A decision that, however, caused great disappointment among Houston Dynamo fans, as one of the main attractions of the match was being able to see Leo Messi.

Given this situation, and with the concern that Shell Energy Stadium might have a poor turnout to receive Inter Miami, Houston Dynamo announced before the game that they would give away a ticket for any other match of the season to all fans who attended the game... despite Leo Messi's absence.

The strategy of Houston Dynamo to fill the stadium despite Messi’s absence

“We hope to welcome everyone tomorrow to what will be an incredible atmosphere and a celebration of soccer for the city of Houston. To show our appreciation, fans who attend the match can claim a free ticket for a future Dynamo match this season,” the statement from Houston Dynamo read.

In the end, despite the notable absence of Leo Messi, the initiative promoted by Houston Dynamo served as a draw for fans to attend the game, and Shell Energy Stadium saw a good turnout with a total of 20,810 attendees. We'll see if more MLS teams join this idea when facing Inter Miami without Leo Messi.