Inter Miami 0-1 Dallas: David Beckham watches his team lose its FIFTH straight MLS game, as angry coach Phil Neville tells new striker Josef Martinez he ‘needs to play better’ after sixth straight game without a goal
The presence of David Beckham wasn’t enough to snap Inter Miami out of its losing streak, as Phil Neville’s men were beaten for the fifth straight MLS game on Saturday night.
USA striker Jesus Ferreira put Dallas ahead in the 27th minute, capitalizing on awful defending by Miami to convert from close range.
Miami enjoyed plenty of second half possession but struggled to unlock an organized Dallas defense. Miami also had a penalty appeal in the eighth and final minute of added time rejected, despite the referee using VAR to check his decision.
It summed up what was, overall, an underwhelming display in front of Beckham and Miami now sit 11th in the Eastern Conference.
Neville said he was unhappy with striker Josef Martinez, an offseason signing from Atlanta, in his post-game remarks.
David Beckham was at the Inter Miami game Saturday, but they lost 1-0 against Dallas
Beckham shook hands with Phil Neville before kickoff but the coach is under growing pressure
‘He needs to play better,’ Neville said. ‘It’s the first time today we have played with two strikers and I don’t think either had a shot on goal in the first half. We need more from Josef and that is without a shadow of a doubt.
‘In the team we have players that are comfortable and from now on they won’t be comfortable.
‘We are working really hard in strengthening the team. We are hopeful of good news in the next 24 to 48 hours. I feel we are close to going on a winning run and scoring goals.
‘You earn your own luck and I’ve got to take full responsibility for the losing run. This is my team and they didn’t start the game in the way I wanted them to.
‘We were really luck to go in at halftime at just 1-0 – I said we were the luckiest team in the MLS, now let’s make them pay. But we didn’t find that quality. It is not going our way at this moment in time.’
Martinez has gone six games without scoring for Miami. He missed one game for the international fixtures, where he scored for Venezuela.
Ferreira got Dallas on the board in the 27th minute with his fourth goal of the year, working in the goal mouth and waiting for a pass from Jesus Jimenez before beating Miami keeper Drake Callender with a left-footed shot to the center of the net.
The scoring play began with a pass into the zone by Geovane Jesus that was backheeled by Ferreira to Jimenez. The latter fought off the defense and drew Callender off his line before returning the ball to Ferreira for the easiest of goals and a 1-0 lead.
The 22-year-old Ferreira’s goal allowed him to become the youngest player in MLS history with 40 goals in league play.
Dallas had most of the scoring chances in the first half, producing four shots on goal to one for the home side.
That continued after halftime as Ferreira pressed for another goal in the 54th minute when his right-footed shot from the right side of the 6-yard box was saved by Callender with a lunge to the bottom right corner.
Jean Mota’s shot five minutes later from outside the box nearly tied the match, but it was saved by Paes.
Dallas’ Paul Arriola and Alan Velasco had shots blocked by Callender in the 60th and 91st minute, respectively, to allow Miami (2-5-0, six points) to stay in the match.
Miami looked as if it would have a chance to tie the game when a penalty was called in the area on Dallas’ Jose Antonio Martinez seven minutes into second-half stoppage time, but the penalty was overturned by VAR review and Dallas was able to run out the final minute of the clock.