Inter Miami coach Neville hints there will be lineup changes after 1-0 loss to Dallas
A near-sellout crowd of 17,287 showed up at DRV PNK Stadium ready to party Saturday night. Inter Miami fans were hopeful the team would rebound from a four-game losing skid as forward Leo Campana was finally back in the lineup after missing the first six games with a calf injury.
Instead, all the singing and drum-banging was for naught. Inter Miami fell 1-0 to FC Dallas and it could have been worse if not for Miami goalkeeper Drake Callender’s seven saves. Miami’s five game slide dropped the team to 2-0-5 and 12th place in the Eastern Conference.
A chorus of boos rained down on the field when the final whistle blew after a controversial call in the box in stoppage time. Inter Miami initially won a potential game-tying penalty kick after it appeared Jean Mota was fouled by a Dallas player, but head referee Filip Dujic waved it off after reviewing the play on video replay.
It was the fourth time this season Inter Miami was shut out, and coach Phil Neville did not mince words after the loss calling the first half “unacceptable” and “the poorest 45 minutes of the season.”
“We probably should have been three down at halftime,” he said. “We were lucky.”
Neville hinted there will be lineup changes when the team plays its next game at Houston after a two- week break.
Venezuelan national team forward Josef Martinez, the former MLS MVP with Atlanta United and one of the most prolific scorers in league history, has yet to score since joining Inter Miami this season.
“He needs to play better,” Neville said. “It was the first time we played with two strikers. I don’t think either had a shot on goal in first half. Did we get him the service? Probably not. It was Leo’s first game back, but we need more from Josef without a shadow of a doubt…we’ve played seven games and our center forwards haven’t scored a goal, apart from Shanyder (Borgelin). So, that’s a concern.”
The offense created more chances when forward Borgelin came in off the bench, Neville said.
“We’ve got some players that are comfortable, and from now on those players won’t be comfortable anymore because they’re not playing to the levels I expect and we’ve got players that have not had opportunities that I think now deserve an opportunity. So, in two weeks’ time we’ll see that.”
Neville heaped praise on Callender, who has been spectacular all season.
“What you’ve seen from Drake Callender is the best keeper in the league, without a shadow of a doubt,” Neville said. “Some of those saves, the quality, difficult saves he made look so easy. He made them look easy because he has this quality not many of the modern day keepers have and that is he catches the ball and keeps it close to him. He doesn’t parry or punch.”
“Every ball that goes in, he smothers, captures, gets hold of it and his performance was absolutely sensational. If he carries on in this trajectory, he’s going to be a top, top keeper.”
Neville went on to compare Callender to former U.S. World Cup star Tim Howard, who was Neville’s teammate in England at Manchester United and Everton.
None of that was consolation to Callender.
“To be honest, it’s a little frustrating because you work so hard and you leave everything on the field and don’t get the result,” Callender said. “That’s the reality of being a pro athlete. It’s not easy to lose five games. We can’t dwell on moments like this. We have to have a short memory and move on to the next one. It’s difficult because we feel it.”
Once again, as has been the case much of the season, Miami dominated possession (69 percent to 31 percent) but failed to find the back of the net. Miami took no shots through the first 32 minutes and finished the half with three shots, one on frame. Dallas, by contrast, took 10 first-half shots with four on goal.
Dallas struck first to take a 1-0 lead in the 27th minute on a left-footed close-range shot by Jesus Ferreira. He had another rocket of a shot from the right side early in the second half, but it was saved by Callender, who almost single handedly kept the home team in the game.
Inter Miami is expected to sign Ecuadorean defensive midfielder Dixon Arroyo in the coming days to bolster that position in the absence of captain Gregore, who is out six months with a leg injury.
“I feel as if we’re so close, and yet so far,” Neville said. “We’re close to going on a winning run, scoring three or four goals, but we’re being punished. I take full responsibility. Last year we had a similar run and turned it around.”
Other than Callender, one of the only other bright spots of the night was the halftime ceremony honoring the University of Miami men’s and women’s basketball teams, coming off historic NCAA Tournament runs. UM players and coaches watched from a VIP box and took photos with team co-owners David Beckham and Jorge and Jose Mas, who are also big Hurricanes supporters.
“Me and my coaching staff and players are absolutely loving the experience,” said Larranaga. “Jorge and Jose Mas and David Beckham are the best, and we want to be big supporters. I had never seen a professional soccer game in person before. The crowd makes the environment amazing. Standing room only. We need them all to come to the Watsco Center next year.”
“I’m from Spain, so I’ve been to a lot of soccer games and this is a lot of fun,” said UM forward Lola Pendande. “The environment reminds me of home. I was a big Barcelona fan.”
Karla Erjavec, a UM guard and native of Croatia, is also a Barcelona fan and also followed Croatian team Dinamo Zagreb. “The atmosphere is different here than in Europe, but it’s really fun. I’ve been in the States for so long, and this is great to be at a professional soccer match again. It is really refreshing. There are a lot more people than I expected to see.”
