FC Dallas playermaker David Ferreira limped toward the locker room after the 4-0 victory by his team over USL side Orlando City after playing just a half of soccer in the second Group 2 match of the Disney Pro Soccer Classic on Tuesday night. It was only his third game back from a fractured ankle suffered in April 2011 and he was the victim of a handful of late hits by Orlando City players that went unpunished by referee John McCloskey in the first half, reports Simon Borg.

"He took a beating today,” said FC Dallas coach Schellas Hyndman. "He got a lot of kicks in the back of the leg and the ankles and that’s really just a shame."

Last year, many held up Ferreira’s fractured ankle as one example of how the creative, attacking players need to be better safeguarded by referees in MLS play. The theme resurfaced on Tuesday.

“I’m tired of this now,” Ferreira told MLSsoccer.com after the match. “I don’t want to talk about it. It’s their decision when to whistle and when not to. I just try to do my best on the field. There is a person that has to establish order and he knows the moment to do it. I can’t be fighting with him. Whether or not I’m right, I just have to try to play my soccer and help the team to do its best."