Inter Miami are mired in their second six-game losing streak of the season and reside in last place in the Eastern Conference.
Barring a turnaround, the club could be teetering on falling out of the playoff race when prized acquisition Lionel Messi makes his club debut late next month.
So the pressure is certainly on Inter Miami to pick up a positive result when they take on the Philadelphia Union on Saturday night in Chester, Pa.
Inter Miami (5-12-0, 15 points) recorded a 2-0 home victory over the Union on March 4 immediately before the first six-game slide.
Miami emerged to win its next three games before the latest skid, during which it has been outscored 12-4. The last two setbacks occurred under interim coach Javier Morales, who replaced the fired Phil Neville.
Miami lost 2-1 to visiting D.C. United in Morales’ debut and then fell 3-1 against the host New England Revolution on June 10.
Josef Martinez scored the Miami goal on a penalty kick in the 84th minute against the Revolution to raise his career total to 102, 10th most in MLS history. He has a team-best four this season.
“The positives to highlight were that the team didn’t give up and fought until the end, but surely this isn’t what we were looking for, this isn’t the result we wanted,” Morales said.
Philadelphia (9-5-4, 31 points) is coming off a 2-2 road tie against Orlando City.
The Union dug out of a 2-0 hole thanks to goals by Jack McGlynn and Jose Martinez. The goal by Jose Martinez came in the 90th minute and was his first MLS goal in 86 career shots.
“Incredible, incredible goal, obviously, from Jose,” Philadelphia coach Jim Curtin said, before joking, “He’s now one for … 286? I think.”
Curtin turned serious about the midfielder, even saying he should be considered for an All-Star berth.
“For him to contribute with a goal like that, at the death of the game, to finish it off that way, it was big,” Curtin said.
The Union expect to have Daniel Gazdag (seven goals, eight assists) back from a stint with the Hungarian national team. However, star goalkeeper Andre Blake and defender Damion Lowe will remain away for Jamaica’s Gold Cup match against the United States.
Julian Carranza has a team-leading nine goals for Philadelphia, which is 17-1-2 in its last 20 home games, counting the postseason. The Union have outscored opponents 61-11 during that span.
–Field Level Media