Inter Miami move LAST in MLS Eastern Conference after Montreal loss as pressure mounts on manager Phil Neville as David Beckham’s side record two wins in TWELVE league games
Inter Miami fell to the bottom of Major League Soccer’s Eastern Conference standings after a 1-0 loss to Montreal on Saturday night.
Phil Neville’s side have now won twice in their last 12 games in MLS and have a miserable 15 points in 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 – which started the day in last place – means Miami are now bottom of the standings.
Phil Neville’s Inter Miami fell to last place in MLS Eastern Conference
Miami had 14 shots in the game, but again couldn’t take the chances – a problem that has derailed the season so far.
Neville had momentarily taken the pressure off his shoulders earlier in May with back-to-back wins over Atlanta United and New England Revolution. But these results may have been a false dawn.
It was a season that held so much promise for Miami and Neville – they picked Atlanta’s Josef Martinez to fill the void left by the retirement of Gonzalo Higuain, but the striker has scored just three goals so far in 12 games .
Neville and Miami have made no secret of their desire to bring Lionel Messi to Major League Soccer as well.
But with hundreds of millions offered by the Saudi league and the ties of an emotional return to Barcelona that won’t go away, why would Messi join Miami now? The perks of living in the United States are a harder sell with a team that keeps losing.
Neville seemed to feel the pressure at times. He insulted a reporter last weekend after the 3-1 loss to Orlando for interrupting him, then forgot what question he was answering.
In March, when then-Chicago Fire coach Ezra Hendrickson said he exploited Miami’s defense to beat the team 3-2, Neville called his comments “bulls***” , although Hendrickson seemed to be right.
Miami then hosts the New York Red Bulls on Wednesday night. Under new coach Troy Lesesne, the Red Bulls appear to be enjoying some resurgence.
