Lionel Messi: Houston Dynamo Manager Refuses to Open up On Plan to Stop Argentine

• Houston Dynamo and Inter Miami will lock horns in the U.S. Open Cup final
• Lionel Messi is likely to make his return for Inter Miami
• Ben Olsen had an interesting response when asked about his plan to stop Messi

Houston Dynamo manager Ben Olsen had an interesting take when asked whether he had plans to stop Lionel Messi on Wednesday.

Inter Miami will be back in action as they take on Houston Dynamo in the U.S Open Cup final in a game in which Messi is expected to make a return.

Messi is without a doubt the biggest threat to Olsen’s side, as his stats since joining the MLS side have been quite impressive.

According to AS, in 12 games, the 36-year-old has bagged 11 goals and bagged 12 assists, which practically suggests that he is sure to have a goal contribution in every game he features in the United States.

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Such stats are always likely to put opposition managers on their toes, and Olsen was no exception as he was recently confronted by the media about his possible plans on how to quell Messi.

"If I had the right plan to stop him [Messi], I wouldn't give it to you. I don't want to get into that too much." He said, as per ESPN.

He added: “Let me ask the 5,000 coaches that have tried before to stop him that have not been able to, guys with better credentials than me”.

Olsen, a former DC United manager, then diverted attention by reiterating it was up to his own team to win the U.S Open Cup final.

Houston Dynamos will undoubtedly be the underdogs for the clash, as they do not enjoy the star power or attention from the world the way Inter Miami does.

According to Olsen, the team is “far from the finished product”

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“In so many ways, it's a kind of restarting of the organization on the sporting side. There's a lot of movement within the front office as well," he added.

Messi leads charts in highest-earning MLS stars

Sports Brief also reported on the highest earners in the MLS as Lionel Messi leads the line.

According to The Guardian, the 36-year-old penned a two-and-a-half-year contract with Inter Miami worth an eyewatering $60 million.

The deal saw Messi officially become the best-earning player in the MLS, with the Barcelona legend pocketing nearly £128,000 every day.

Messi’s teammate, Sergio Busquets, is also earning handsomely at Inter Miami, taking home $10 million per year.