Do tell. Or is the mega theme that when professional soccer has exploded in our nation, on all fronts. Too often a referee will over take a good, combative soccer match. Make him the center of attention. Take it easy.
I've always had a problem with this theory. It's always "the referee made himself the story." It's never "the players were acting like assholes." If a player, coach, or anyone else wants to refuse to sign with MLS because referees actually issue red cards, then screw them. They can thug it up in Argentina's seventh division, or something.
Recall that the beautiful game is played by working class men. This the way it has been for well over a hundred years amigo. Now in our nation, the sport recieves players from academic institutions of higher learning and boys from across the tracks. Thus a referee in our culture has the most difficult task, how to game manage a field full of such dichotomy. In Scotland, the ref and his role is well respected. In Argentina the ref and his rolw is well respected. In our nation, where professional soccer is still growing, the ref has a role to play. To let the beautiful game breath. Specifically since our MLS is 100 years behind the rest of the planet save Oz and New Zealand. Forgive me for placing such a premium on our American referee corps.
Stop it. Refs are not respected anywhere. Every country's fans think that their refs stink. When MLS started, and for years continuing, the MLS fanbase and foreign players coming here to play complained that refs didnt provide enough protection. It was too physical, people said. It didnt allow the beautiful game, folks said. So now we get better players and protect all players more, and the cry becomes that "the ref inserted himself into the game!" Rooney was a fool and deserved his red card. Almeyda was going apeshit on the sideline to both the 4th official and the center ref. I dont know what Argentina you watch, but the one that I see would have had Almeyda out on his ear for being that flagrant ... and I am a huge Almeyda fan. I once saw Steve Gerrard get sent off about 20 seconds after entering a game at halftime, for a poor tackle. It really destroyed the game in England and prevented players coming over, right? Again, just stop.
Scottish refs. Pfft. Ask about Stuart Dougal or Hugh Dallas. Two of their best known. One couldn't handle MLS games, one needed VAR on the biggest stage. Thx, Jay!
Clearly, allowing Wayne Rooney to throw forearm shivers into defenders’ necks is what’s keeping MLS back.
Jebus, who shit in your cheerios this morning? First off, refs around the world, yes, their own mothers don't invite them to Christmas Dinner. And yet the place they hold in their nation's FA is very respected. Second, Rooney and Almeyda are in a rival match. Something that MLS HQ went long on advertising last week and this week. So there might be some passion on display from players and coaches alike right. Both men got their walkimg papers froma ref that could have given a yellow to each and a stern "Don't do one more thing tonight or you are gone" chat. Specifically to keep the match at 11 v 11. Which is historically the onus placed on refs the world over. Manage the beautiful game as a gentleman's sport. Of course the working class dominates the players pool and thus over the generations the soccer ref has really been asked to have thick skin and a good dose of intimacy with the beautiful game. When combined, the ref in any league gets a feel for that night's game. Is it Colorado vs.Columbus or is it Portland vs. Seattle?!? Rooney goes in on his marker but really man, I have seen way worse that just gets unnoticed or even noticed the ref ain't dishing out a strait red for pushing n shoving in the mixer of the 18 on a dead ball. Again, give Rooney a yellow and a stern warning. Play on. Then the odd ball Aririola falling down backwards but the Red Bull defender gets a call, to then a yellow for the phantom foul. C'mon maing. Don't defend this ref. On Almeyda. I have no idea what he said to the ref last night but as long as he did not have a dig at the referee's mother than just show that thick skin a ref should have and focus on the run of play on the field. Some refs in our American soccer culture have rabbit ears. Focus on the sport and the other 22 out on the field with ya. It is the right thing to do. On the snarky England and the sport over there comment. It is the nation that invented the sport. So no, a bad tackle and a worse ref is not going to make soccer fans over there jaded to the sport. That effort of yours was weak sauce amigo. Did not see such an attempt like that being served up by a poster that displays often such sound insight on our boards. Peace.
So what this boils down to is that you are ok with Rooney leading with his forearm into the neck and face of an opposing player and Almeyda going crazy on the ref because these are rivalry games and people in the American market are so weak-minded that stars getting kicked out for legitimate offenses will ruin their love of the sport here. I disagree and will always disagree. So let's move on. By the way, in your responses you seem to be accusing everyone you respond to of not being able to chill or be calm. But you also seem to be the person most rattled. Seriously, for just a moment read your words with the same eyes that you are reading others.
So I like how I've seen people crapping on the Vela goal because it was "just against an MLS defense". Even better was a response to someone pointing out the two central defenders were starters in the Eredivisie and Bundesliga in which the person said "now you know why they aren't there anymore". Love how people can so quickly write off a defender that was a starter and captain for he prior two years for the 5th best defense in the Netherlands and led his team to a Dutch Cup just because he chooses to go to MLS. Of course the same people are screaming for his partner for those two years to get constant call ups to the USMNT.
Am I ok with Rooney leading with his forearm into the neck and face of an opposing player? Meh, on top of my unhealthy passion for all things MLS, I am a U.S.A. National Team junkie as well. I witness this my friend. Which occurs right in front of the ref. Literally the ref is looking at the Captain of a team choke an opposing player. And this is a non call from the ref. So I don't know brother, with VAR now, the ref last night does not witness Rooney go high into his marker, so should the ref be mad at himself for not catching this. I mean it was a strait red level offense according to the ref once the ref does see it. Again, if the ref misses the live call, then goes to VAR, just yellow the man, caution the player with the stern warning I spoke about earlier, and get back with the game at hand. As we witness from above, there are referees in the world that will not even call a foul for choking a player or going studs up on a player, certainly for what Rooney did inside the 6 on a dead ball. Yes. He is an Argentine man. Turks and Argies man. They are certifiable Section 8 when it comes to the sport. A ref needs to know this and just warn him, book him, book his assistant but have thick skin and focus on the game at hand. Snarky again. Right on. It is more like the mega theme that the beautiful game is still growing in our nation. And as MLS is booming with the fans in the stands, the level of play on the field, the more media coverage than ever, the youth academy scene and certainly our women's side of the sport bossing the planet, imho the one area that has not grown as MLS and the sport has grown since say 1996 when MLS was founded is the competency of the referees in our nation. I personally think the sport and all who have worked so hard around the nation at the grassroots level and so on to cultivate and grow the sport, that these paid professional refs we witness in MLS need to be better at their jobs. A lot better. Point taken. In my defense I am an old inner city coach from here in Houston. Just a mean ol' sumbitch. Coached for many years to a very diverse high school in SW Houston. Protecting my kids, really more often than not stopping fights, gettin' the boys outta the bathrooms for burning churros, certainly directing teens to better life choices. So I am used to handing down advise. That and burying some of my students cuz they stepped onto the wrong apartment complex and got their brains blown out. So as I am in the halls, so am I on these here inerwebs. My point being, I don't get rattled. But I do get stuck between a chuckle and confusion since some guys on the internet have taken to saying snarky or cute jabs at another poster knowing their is no fallout for their words. Some guys grew up with the internet since a kid. And are now grown as men that still have never had to be punched in the mouth for the shit they say. And it shows. HA! That is all. Peace.
Late starting (due to rain) little league game on espn before tonight’s mls action. Might need to record some other espn channel if you want to catch the start of the match.
That's a red card. It should have been called. I don't see what that has to do with anything. If you're trying to use the fact that this was missed as a justification to allow other dirty plays to be allowed, well -- you're going to be up past your bedtime. Corner kicks are chaos, and there are 22 players on the field. Can't see everything. That's part of the reason we even have VAR. There is literally no justification for this line of thinking. You have a mechanism for looking at missed calls. It's used, a red card offense is spotted, and it's blatant. But you seem to think a disproportionate punishment should be issued because... what, exactly? The player should get partially away with it because one referee missed it, even though replay says it's red? Garbage. I don't care where you're from. Shut your mouth. Have respect for the game. Plus -- you seem to have a problem when referees make themselves the story. Well, I've never paid money to watch a coach run his mouth. I'm all for making referees better. It take a little more than a fingersnap to pull it off. But referees are infinitely better than 1996. Anyone who tells you otherwise is selling something.
I've wondered about Erik Hurtado - what is expected of him for Sporting this season, and whether he's good or not - several times the past few weeks. I stumbled across this article from the Whitecaps' fan blog EightySixForever titled "Was Erik Hurtado Actually Good?" Interesting piece about the role of penalty kicks in shaping how we think about some goalscorers.
ESPN provides a list of the rivalry games played as part of Heineken Rivalry Week - nine games, including three played on ESPN+. Notably missing is the Rocky Mountain Cup game played this weekend in Utah between Colorado and RSL. But they did include "noted" rivalry New England vs. Chicago.
Hurtado for me was that guy who was able to do 95% of the work to get into a position to score...and then fire it wide or off the crossbar or straight at the keeper.
Interesting choice by the graphics truck to remove the middle substitution dot instead of the top one on the score bug.
To their credit, they did change the color bar for SKC's team color from blue to black within a single half.
That was a big win for KC. A loss there would have been quite damaging to their still dicey playoff hopes.
Katai got the standard bonus game for his swinging arm last weekend so he will be suspended vs NE tomorrow.