Phil Neville comments on Rodolfo Pizarro's angry reaction: "I reminded him this is a team game"
The Inter Miami head coach substituted the visibly-frustrated attacker in the 67th minute of the 3-1 win vs. Toronto FC
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — It was the 67th minute and Rodolfo Pizarro was not happy. He had just scored two goals to help give Inter Miami a healthy lead, but none of that was enough to stop him from growing angry with head coach Phil Neville for taking him out of the game.
That frustration was clear to see and remained after the final whistle.
Inter Miami won a second consecutive match on Saturday night by topping Toronto FC at Drv Pnk Stadium, but one of the biggest talking points after the 3-1 victory was Pizarro’s reaction to being subbed off in the second half. Neville removed the Mexican international who was a goal away from recording the first hat-trick in team history midway through the stanza, and a visibly displeased Pizarro walked slowly straight towards the bench without embracing the English manager.
There was no handshake or hug. No smiles. No joy.
“He wanted the match ball, he wanted to score goals,” said Inter Miami head coach Phil Neville. “He has obviously been through an awful lot and he probably felt that it was a game where he could have got more chances in the game to score.”
Neville initially walked over to Pizarro after the attacker took his seat on the bench and said something before refocusing his attention back on the match. The two of them had another, lengthier exchange after the game went final, with Neville putting his arm around Pizarro to initiate what turned out to be an animated conversation in which both the player and coach gestured at each other.
“What we said to him was, ‘It is a team game,’” said Neville. “Indiana (Vassilev) probably did not deserve to be left out, probably Blaise Matuidi did not deserve to be left out, but it is a team game (and) we are showing the depth of our squad.”
The Inter Miami coach also stated to the media after the game that he liked the initial frustrated response from Pizarro, who scored in a second consecutive game by pulling off a nifty cutback on the opener in the 15th minute and hitting a nice lob for an insurance goal in the 48th.
“I actually really loved his reaction in terms of the anger to come off because we have seen many times this season when he has been disappointed coming off, where he has been disappointed in himself,” said Neville. “Now he has got that hunger and desire to want to stay on the pitch and score goals. He has his confidence back. Three goals in two games just tells me he is getting better and better.”
Pizarro was not made available to the press after the match to discuss his side of the story or whether he felt it a slight to be removed when he was on a hat-trick, Neville added, however, that everything was fine between them after their post-game talk.
“He is in the dressing room now, he has put the music on, and he is 100 percent behind everyone,” said Neville. “It was just a reminder to everybody that it is a team game this. Inter Miami are not gong to win with one player on the field, because we tried that at the start of the season. We tried it when players were doing their own thing, playing individually.
“Now because we are playing as a team, as a squad, we are beginning to win games of football and that is what I reminded him of.”