I was at the match on the far side of this play, so I can't say what happened or didn't - but what I can tell you is that Quisenberry was emphatically signalling "no foul" (actually it looked like he was giving the "chop off his head" hand signal from my vantage 100 yards away) on that particular play, so he must have seen something that made him decide that even if the ball hit an arm it wasn't deliberate. Stoica also very quickly gave a (much more discreet) hand signal and I saw his mouth moving, as if he was saying something to the players right as it happened. So maybe it was handling, maybe it wasn't, but I think the referee team did a solid job of selling that they saw the incident and decided that it was NOT handling.
In the Disciplinary thread now, too, but just noting here that apparently the DC agreed: http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2012/05/11/seattles-scott-suspended-mls-disciplinary-committee Can't imagine that this signals a good start for Fotis Bazakos, as he seemed to be pretty adamant that it was not a red.
Did the ref miss a backpass here? http://www.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2012-05-09-ny-v-hou/highlights?videoID=185119 I was disappointed the same ref didn't allow Houston to take a corner at the end of the game. At 8:00: http://www.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2012-05-09-ny-v-hou/highlights?videoID=185125
No on the backpass. Look carefully, the attacker makes contact with the ball prior to the GK handling it. The GK doesn't handle it directly from the first play back by the defender. From a match control perspective, even if it were a borderline passback (which its not) can you imagine calling that considering how the entire attack started, i.e., with the ball bouncing off the CR?
Loved how Stoica confidently showed him the watch and Moffat accepted the invitation to view it. Without watching the whole thing, no idea if another 15 seconds would have been justified or not--but you got to applaud Stoica for how he sold his decision to end it there.
The entire weekend isn't published yet, but so far: Sunday, May 13th Philadelphia : New York - GONZALEZ/MORGANTE/BARKEY/MCCLOSKEY Saturday, May 12th Houston : DC - GRAJEDA/QUISENBERRY/DITTMAR/FITZGERALD Columbus : Dallas - TOLEDO/PARKER/CULLUM/FOERSTER New England : Vancouver - PETRESCU/BELLEAU/ARRUDA/GAMBLE Chicago : Kansas City - RIVERO/I.ANDERSON/STRICKLAND/VAUGHN Seattle : Real Salt Lake - GEIGER/FLETCHER/ROTTERSMAN/RADFORD Debut for Rivero in Chiago. Also a debut for the Canadian AR, Arruda, in Foxboro. The Montreal game will be heavily watched/observed... looks like it could be a fit for Marrufo, given the options.
How wrong I am: Montreal : Los Angeles - ANNO/MANIKOWSKI/LOWRY/BOURDEAU Must say I'm shocked to see Anno's first match back be so profile. Absolutely huge crowd, national television in Canada, and one of the marquee teams with marquee players.
This is also Bourdeau's first MLS game I think? Or maybe he's had a couple of 4ths already this year.
It is Bourdeau's first 4th official in the MLS this season. However, he did do one MLS 4th in 2009 (I believe in Toronto) before being replaced on the list by Gamble beginning in 2010.
Think Vaughn suggested it. If you watch the whole clip on the MLS site, at first you see Vaughn issue a seemingly late signal for a caution (not sure why he does), but then they show the replay and he's on the mic immediately and steps out from behind the sign boards. At the very least, he was part of the decision-making process.
This one is interesting: http://www.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2012-05-12-ne-v-van/highlights?videoID=185495 At first I thought there was no contact. But the AR seemed pretty sure and Mattocks, once caught, really didn't complain. Plus it's hard to know that you almost got hit in the back of the head, so the case for simulation isn't really strong. But, if this was a foul, isn't that a weapon and not a tool? His arm is way out there and, again, it's into the back of his opponent's head. Because of the doubt around this call, splitting the difference and going yellow is probably the right and just thing for Petrescu to do. But in the Disciplinary Committee era, I'm wondering if this is something they'll re-examine.
Chicago/KC 79th minute. Sub comes on. Player doesn't come off. Play restarts. Chicago with 12 players for about 10 seconds before play is stopped and Vaughn has Rivero caution Puppo.
Definitely some potential there in Rivero. That was a lot of ground to cover. Perfect position on the send off and didn't hesitate. PK looked a little bit iffy to me (Collen did tackle the ball away first, hard to tell from the replay how much contact there was after that.) But overall I thought he looked pretty good.