Inter Miami become LAST in MLS Eastern Conference after losing in Montreal as pressure mounts on coach Phil Neville, with David Beckham’s team recording two wins in TWELVE league games
Inter Miami have fallen to the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings in Major League Soccer after a 1-0 defeat to Montreal on Saturday night.
Phil Neville’s team have now won twice in their last 12 MLS games and have a miserable 15 point tally from 14 games.
Saturday’s defeat – Chinonso Offor scored the decisive goal in the 53rd minute of the match – will put pressure on manager Phil Neville, a former Manchester United team-mate of Miami owner David Beckham.
DC United’s loss to Toronto – who started the day in last place – puts Miami at the bottom of the standings.
Phil Neville’s Inter Miami have fallen to last place in the MLS Eastern Conference
Miami had 14 shots in the game, but again failed to capitalize on the opportunities presented – a problem that has derailed the season so far.
Neville had taken the pressure off his shoulders earlier in May with two straight wins against Atlanta United and New England Revolution. But those results may have been a false dawn.
It was a season that promised so much for Miami and Neville – they came to Atlanta’s Josef Martinez to fill the void left by the retirement of Gonzalo Higuain, but the striker has so far scored just three goals in 12 matches.
Neville and Miami have made it no secret that they also want to bring Lionel Messi to Major League Soccer.
But with the hundreds of millions of dollars on offer from the Saudi league and the links to an emotional return to Barcelona that just won’t go away, why would Messi go to Miami now? The benefits of living in the United States are harder to sell with a team that keeps losing.
Neville sometimes looked like he was feeling the pressure. He swore to a reporter last weekend after the 3-1 loss to Orlando that he was bothering him and then forgot what question he was answering.
In March, when then-Chicago Fire coach Ezra Hendrickson said he was exploiting Miami’s defense to beat the team 3-2, Neville called his comments “bulls***,” even though Hendrickson appeared to have a point.
Miami hosts the New York Red Bulls on Wednesday night. Under the leadership of newly appointed coach Troy Lesesne, Red Bulls appear to be on a bit of a resurgence.