Phil Neville on Josef Martinez's frustration in Inter Miami's U.S. Open Cup win: "I liked it"
The Venezuelan striker was demonstratively angry after being substituted in the 1-0 triumph over the Charleston Battery
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Three days after Josef Martinez found the back of the net for the first time in an Inter Miami jersey, the striker did something else that he had yet to do since arriving to the team.
He showed a glimpse of the fiery temperament that he has long had a reputation for.
Inter Miami advanced to the Round of 16 in the U.S. Open Cup on Tuesday night after posting a 1-0 win over the Charleston Battery, and one of the biggest talking points after the victory was Martinez’s show of frustration after being substituted out of the match.
The Venezuelan who got the start up top was replaced after 56 minutes, and as he exited the field he largely ignored head coach Phil Neville’s attempts to communicate before throwing a pair of furious fists at some empty chairs on the bench.
The images that were caught in good detail by the attentive U.S. Open Cup broadcast marked the first time with Inter Miami that Martinez demonstratively showed the type of emotion that has led him to having high-profile run-ins with several managers in the past. Neville, however, was unperturbed by it.
“What I liked about him the most tonight was his anger when he came off,” said Neville. “He was frustrated. I liked it. It is the first time I have seen a little bit of anger. We have been trying to poke him a little bit to get angry. I want him to get angry, I want him to get nasty, I want him to sort of get a fire (going).
“I liked that tonight. I saw something in that that excites me about Saturday’s game against New England for Josef.”
One of the possible explanations for Martinez’s irate reaction was that he ended the game scoreless despite being in a quality position in the first half to score what would have been his third goal in four days.
Inter Miami had one of its best chances against the Battery in the 18th minute when right wingback Harvey Neville penetrated deep into the final third, but the defender opted to take a shot with nearly no angle rather than going for the higher percentage play of squaring the ball to the open Martinez for a simple finish in front of an empty net.
“He wants to score every single time he has a chance to, and he gets mad when we do not give him chances,” said a smiling Victor Ulloa. “We did not give him any chances in the first half in this game and then (the coaches) take him off early, so yeah he is upset that he did not get to finish the game.”
There is no denying that Martinez’s best stretch in MLS came when he played with a chip on his shoulder, be it self-created or not. Yes, he was the star striker on a talented Atlanta United team that was among the league’s elite at the time and he had not yet suffered the devastating knee injury that has contributed to a steep decline in his goal-scoring production.
Still, his scowl was a staple during his largely-successful tenure up north, and it was that venom that he played with that was seen as one of the key ingredients to his high level of play.
“He wants to do better, and we expect better, really,” said Neville, who added that there were no problems with Martinez. “The truth is we expect better and he will deliver.”
Time will ultimately decide if that is the case, or whether the frustrated images that were seen on Tuesday were a sign of things to come from a temperamental forward who is no stranger to clashes with coaches.
For now, though, Neville is viewing it all positively.
“I liked the anger, I like his frustration,” said Neville. “It is the first time I have seen it and that is what I have been waiting for, so all bodes well for Saturday.”
I'm glad the team is winning, but most importantly they are finding ways to get results. Playing beautiful is great, but winning is what this game is about.