MLS Playoff Conference Finals

Making my life easier

 

We sure that Fisher is totally out of the equation? If it's true that he isn't full-time and that takes him out of contention, then I'm in on Kelly.

If not, I have Fisher with the whistle. No playoff middles in 2018 (he has done them in years past) and a pretty steady year while PRO assigned him some of their high profile regular season matches.

Also, Toronto isn't playing in MLS Cup for the first time in two years. Not that this should factor in, but "perception" and stuff....

 

Unkel would be sweet.

 

from these games so far it seems to be "who will call the fewest fouls" that will get the game. A bit surprised to see Sibiga after his earlier troubles.

 

I thought Sibiga was okay on the Timbers game. He kept it really tight which I (as a non-neutral Timbers fan) found unfair as it played into SKC's gameplan. It's also tough because after Marrufo let so much go uncalled in the SEA-POR game, to get such a different style for an even more advanced game. So my qualm is not with any specific call but the overall approach. Feels like exactly what a less-experienced playoff referee would do - prioritizing game control over game flow. Anyone else have thoughts?

 

I'm guessing it's dead here (more than usual) because of Thanksgiving weekend?

In the Red Bulls game, anyone have any problem with VAR nullifying the BWP goal after review, ruling that Muyl was in an offside position AND that he was CLEARLY obstructing Guzan's line of vision? Here's the play:

https://matchcenter.mlssoccer.com/m...fc-vs-new-york-red-bulls/details/video/179315

You can make a valid argument why it should stand or why it shouldn't. Why do I think it should?

1) Is Muyl really blocking Guzan's view from 8 yards away? Watch Guzan calmly pick up the ball, clearly not expecting any call to be made.
2) Guzan seems to be slightly out of position on this play. Does this bail him out as far as the "line of vision" verbiage?
3) Does this meet the LOTG standard of CLEARLY obstructing and meet FIFA's definition of offside, when you compare other games we've seen around the world this year?


On another note, I don't know how the other semi-final was officiated and if the guys were told to cool it on the cautions, but several plays in the first half were easy yellow cards. Red Bull defender Brandon Murillo went in studs-up and made contact on a slide tackle in what should have at least been a caution, but no foul was even called.

Later, Kaku (I believe it was him), committed a reckless foul, but only advantage was played by Stott. During a stoppage minutes later, Kaku and Tata Martino exchange words and glares over the play. Minutes after this, Kaku purposely barrels into a United player after a loss in possession, resulting in pushing, shoving and trash talk among several guys.

Seems to me that if you officiate the game like you would in the regular season (I know it's unrealistic), this wouldn't have happened. Hard to believe that the first caution wasn't issued until the 61st minute for a tactical foul.

 

VAR got the no goal/offside decision correct, no problem there.

I agree that there probably should have been more called early on in the ATL/NY game. There is already bad blood between these teams, and that game was on the edge from the start. I'm surprised Kaku made it through the game without getting the sh!t kicked out of him.

Red Bulls will definitely have to chase the game from the start in the second leg.

 

My only problem with the obstructing view part of the offside rule is that without VAR, these calls are often (?usually) impossible to get right.

In this case stott and his ar didn’t pick it up in the first place- did they talk about a piop and decide he wasn’t obstructing, or did they not have offside on the radar at all? Stott is well positioned and well sighted, as is the AR, and they missed a stone cold offside infraction.

I like the rule. I just don’t know how to get it right consistently without var and that behind the goal view.

Btw kudos to stott. I thought the game simmered and to me he was on top and present. And physically, with Atlanta basically attacking at speed at every chance, to keep up with a game like that at 51, well that’s pretty damn good.

 

I'm assuming you have watched MLS playoff games in seasons past? I didn't watch the game, but the fact that there were few cards and few fouls called and overly physical play didn't surprise me at all and really didn't surprise me at all with Stott refereeing.

Nobody should be surprised with how overly physical MLS playoff games are and have been in the past.

The chances of a red card other than for DOGSO in the playoffs are almost slim to none even slimmer with Stott in the middle.

 

You can make an argument if you want, but not a valid one on a referee forum.

https://www.atlutd.com/post/2018/11/26/post-match-quotes-atl-vs-ny

 

Good find.

 

Lone reply to the only current comment of this video:

 

Of course the coach who had his best players avoid suspension will be praising the referee. It doesn't mean this approach is right or that it is conducive to entertaining or more open soccer.

Are there any quotes from any of the attackers from either game praising the overly physical refereeing? We had a goal keeper and two coaches who favor and prefer physical games praising the refereeing. Any quotes from the attacker Russell who took that body check from Chara praising Sibiga.

This is not just an MLS problem. We saw it at the World Cup where referees refused to give obvious and easy yellow cards early in the match and it ruined the quality of the spectacle. We see it creeping into the Champions League as well.

MLS is a league that is naturally high on physicality and low on technical quality to begin with and ratcheting it up that physicality and leniency to even higher levels during the playoffs doesn't make for an open and entertaining game.

To be fair to Sibiga, he did get the Valeri tackle spot on. It's just a foul and not a caution. His cleats were down. The cynical part of me says he is not giving a caution there even if he catches him with the studs.

But the Chara challenge is a 100% yellow card. It's late, the ball is well gone and it's a body check. Completely unnecessary and an easy yellow card. Now that player will be available for the second leg and will be free to commit a yellow card to break up an attack.

I'm not advocating for a referee to come out and just start tossing yellow cards left and right. I understand there needs to be some degree of measure (the Valeri challenge is a great example), but the laws of the game shouldn't be completely subverted and put on its head for the sake of keeping someone like Diego Chara available for the second leg.

 

I would challenge this around what you think the purpose of cards are. Except where mandated, aren't cards tools to keep control of the game? And didn't Sibiga manage to keep control of the game without cards? Shouldn't we consider that a success?

After being initially lukewarm with Sibiga's refereeing (from being at the game), I rewatched the televised version and found his performance quite good, resulting in an ultimately fair outcome.

 

Are you talking about the challenge that wasn't even a foul? I've seen similar thing not called all season. Just because everyone was counting on Chara being gone in the next round doesn't mean he should be overly scrutinized either. Was there any evidence that Sibiga was only giving cards to those not on accumulation? Did seem like it watching the game where there were many fouls not called and potentially cards kept in his pocket.

On a side note, nobody has mentioned Zusi's intentional strike to the face that was ignored. Chances of "hands to face" getting him suspended for the next round = 0% MLS and PRO want the playoffs to go a certain way, the regular season rules and points of interest are out the door.

 

Matt Nelson has had two phenomenal offside decisions this game. The first one was gutsy to make, in that he could have been certain that VAR would have bailed him out had he left his flag down, but he nailed it. On the second one, the communication between Geiger and him was clearly the deciding factor in his delayed offside decision. Great work all around.