A week after supporting a debated referee decision that went against Inter Miami CF, head coach Phil Neville was “raging” about two potential penalty kicks, especially one in second-half stoppage time of a 1-1 draw against Atlanta United Sunday afternoon.
There were shouts for a penalty on the hour mark when it appeared Atlanta defender Miles Robinson handled a Gonzalo Higuain shot inside the 18-yard box.
But what really drew Neville’s ire was the moment in stoppage time when Brad Guzan dove at the feet of Victor Ulloa, flailing at a rebound after the midfielder’s initial shot was saved.
“100 percent a penalty. I think we should have had two maybe. Poor refereeing,” Neville said in his post-match press conference. “I think that’s fair. I praised the referee last week. That is 100 percent a penalty. I’ve seen it four times, got reviewed so whoever has reviewed it has let the referee down, but we’ll put that in the report.”
“I’m happy at the end of game,” Neville added. “But not happy, raging with what I thought we should have had a penalty.”
Guzan said he’s not surprised at Neville’s take — he heard it first-hand after the final whistle — but also not surprisingly, the Atlanta United goalkeeper had a differing opinion on the incident.
“Yeah, he said the same thing to me as we walked off the field,” Guzan said. “For me, it’s not a penalty. I disagree with him.”
