Phil Neville says Inter Miami was "robbed" after controversial loss to the Portland Timbers
The Inter Miami coach did not mince words when discussing his thoughts on the late disallowed equalizer in the 1-0 loss vs. the Timbers
Phil Neville was not happy. He was still upset over a controversial call that did not go Inter Miami’s way just minutes earlier and played a part in the team’s latest loss.
He made that abundantly clear.
Inter Miami suffered another blow in the push for the postseason by dropping a 1-0 decision on the road to the Portland Timbers on Sunday evening. The South Florida side thought it had negated Jaroslaw Niezgoda’s late opener when substitute Julian Carranza headed home an equalizer in the 86th minute, but referee Robert Sibiga immediately waved it off for contact between Carranza and Timbers centerback Dario Zuparic.
An irate Neville protested the call from the sideline, even kicking his seat at one point in frustration, and that sentiment remained during his post-game press conference.
“I think we will cut straight to the chase: I thought we were absolutely robbed from a poor refereeing decision,” said Neville during his opening remarks. “Too many times I sit here and I try to give the benefit of the doubt, but I do not know what these referees are doing during the week. Clearly a goal by Julian Carranza.”
The Englishman continued by talking about the questionable call that resulted in the decisive penalty kick in Inter Miami’s 1-0 loss to Atlanta United this past Wednesday, saying he was okay with that officiating decision but not this one.
“Even though it could have gone the other way, I accepted it. I am not accepting that today,” said Neville. “I am not accepting that because of the efforts of the team. I am not accepting that because this is a professional league that is one of the toughest to win and we have got officials that are making such poor decisions like that.
“Ultimately, I have got to fight and stand up for my team and for my football club. Ultimately, we were robbed of points tonight because of a poor refereeing decision that is not just a one-off. It is not just a one-off. I have seen it time and time again.”
Neville, who was likely aware that he could be fined by MLS for such pointed remarks, further stressed his point by stating that he had looked back at the polemic play that ruled out Inter Miami’s equalizer.
“I have seen it three or four times, maybe five or six times, and not once did I think it was a foul,” said Neville. “We spend probably millions of (dollars) on VAR to check decisions like that and I do not know what they are thinking of not (overturning the call). My thoughts on the game are totally clouded by what was probably the worst decision that we have had this season.
“We have had some bad ones and I have sat here and tried to defend referees and I know Howard Webb really well and I have got a lot of respect for Howard Webb, but I do not know what they are doing.
“I do not know what they are doing with these officials as this moment in time in terms of making poor decisions like that and then they are reviewing them and not overturning them. I can only talk the truth, and that is my feeling coming out of this game.”