The assignments for Week 31 of the 2017 MLS season: 10/03/2017 Atlanta United v Minnesota United Mercedes-Benz Stadium (7:00PM ET) REF: ARMANDO VILLARREAL AR1: Logan Brown AR2: Nick Uranga 4TH: Rubiel Vazquez VAR: Silviu Petrescu 10/07/2017 New York Red Bulls v Vancouver Whitecaps Red Bull Arena (5:00PM ET) REF: JORGE GONZALEZ AR1: Andrew Bigelow AR2: Jose Da Silva 4TH: Ted Unkel VAR: Rubiel Vazquez Colorado Rapids v FC Dallas Dick’s Sporting Goods Park (8:00PM ET) REF: SILVIU PETRESCU AR1: Gianni Facchini AR2: Craig Lowry 4TH: Nima Saghafi VAR: Edvin Jurisevic Minnesota United v Sporting Kansas City TCF Bank Stadium (9:00PM ET) REF: JOSE CARLOS RIVERO AR1: Eric Boria AR2: Felisha Mariscal 4TH: Sorin Stoica VAR: Kevin Terry Jr
Villarreal having a nightmare in Atlanta. VAR also not having a good game as well. Shocking tackle by Martin only given a yellow. Also, clear foul prior to challenge missed right outside the penalty area. Villarreal clearly either talking to VAR or 4th after the tackle and nothing done. Dissent by Atlanta players and coaching staff and nothing done. Then they miss a clear foul by the Atlanta goalkeeper on Minnesota attacker just outside penalty area. VAR bails him out, but Villarreal gets hit by water bottle as he is on his way to monitor. Then dissent ensues after the red card was given. Just a disaster all around. I know he's next in line to go to the World Cup, but Villarreal is regressing as a referee. His performances keep getting worse year after year.
If Villarreal felt it wasn't quite DOGSO after looking at video, is he allowed to give a yellow and a FK? I'm assuming yes since the VAR initiated the review for a red card.
I was there. It looked even worse in the stadium (and the crowd noise had absolutely nothing to do with that). That stadium and crowd are something else - -my first time there and it was almost surreal. I was thinking "It must be wild to referee in this atmosphere," and then after a while I thought, "And he's kinda looking like he wishes he were somewhere else."
I only saw the second half...and Atlanta's announcers whining at halftime. At least they eventually got the send off right thanks to VAR. But I do agree he seems to be going backwards.
The red card seemed to be the only thing he got right. Tata seems on to something after the game - he seemed to be not making calls and waiting to see if VAR called it down. I wonder if the structure of VAR will bend refs in that direction...
I feel like if this game had happened a week ago, the Collin Martin tackle would have been reviewed. Also, definitely still laughing that we've now had TWO pretty damn clear and obvious DOGSO reviews since Rejer's ridiculous assertion that it's "too subjective a call."
Not sure what happened on the first one you are referring to, but Villarreal never even called a foul on this one and the ball stayed in play. He had the worst angle possible and was trailing a good bit. AR1 should have had a decent enough angle to at least indicate it was a foul, but never put the flag up.
Atlanta fan charged for hitting referee with a beer. http://www.ajc.com/news/crime--law/...ietta-charged/ivkM8869KgTcBZ3t3rG8GI/amp.html
it gets even better. according to this guy's work profile, he's also a varsity soccer coach at a prestigious private school. http://www.pinnacle-ortho.com/kyle-bachmeier-pa-c
as a matter of fact, the ad at the school said he hadn't been there as a coach in three years, and contacted the guy's employer to have the reference removed. as of now, it's gone. so, there's that...
and now, mls has released a statement that the guy's been banned from all mls matches. https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2017/10/05/major-league-soccer-issues-ban-unacceptable-fan-conduct
How do those bans actually work? It's hard to imagine they have a poster at every entrance that anyone refers to.