As seen on Twitter @PaulTenorio Have some major MLS news that could impact the playoff race. It's a doozy. This is going to be a few tweets, guys. (Where's my 280?!) (1/5) Per FIFA rules, once a team lineup sheet is given to referees, if a player is changed out of the lineup he is ineligible for that game.(2/5) On Saturday, FC Dallas swapped Tesho Akindele into starting XI for Michael Barrios. Barrios then subbed into the game in the 84th min (3/5) Per FIFA rules, the match should be forfeited, which would drop FCD to 41 pts and pull Orlando City to 41 pts, just 2 behind RBNY (4/5) I am told the league is aware of the violation and looking into it. No update yet as to what will occur. Plenty at stake, obviously. (5/5)
He's based it off a Gina Miller tweet, which was probably based off a lineup constructed earlier in the day and passed onto the broadcast team. Unless the actual game sheet - the handwritten sheet the team turns in - has the same lineup, there's nothing to see here. Even if it does, MLS can't even enforce it's own injury list 'rules' - so I find it highly unlikely they would give anyone a forfeit in this situation as it neither harmed or benefitted anyone.
I'm wondering if someone at OCSC noticed the discrepancy and is trying this as a Hail Mary to get a little more life in their playoff hunt. I mean, this would cost FCD a point, which would suck, but not fatal, since they'd currently go from being tied with their playoff competitors with a game in hand to one point back with a game in hand. But it would give OCSC a lot of life, since they'd go from being four points behind #6 NYRB with two games to go to being two points behind NYRB with two games to go. But anyone who's been an FCD fan longer that a couple years already has the following scenario in mind: MLS calls the game a forfeit, FCD loses the point, finishes tied for 6th, and misses the playoffs on a tiebreaker.
I looked around and the NASL and USL have a rule similar to what Paul posted and the original Orlando Sentinel article quoted. I don't have a good feeling about this as I think it makes sense that MLS would have a similar rule. Paul posted a FIFA World Cup regulation that also would have ruled Barrios ineligible... On the other hand, all of the MLS competition rules and rules and regulations say nothing about this...
Then again, at least it was a point and not a win - not that FCD doesn't need every point it can get, but having to give up one point is a lot better than if the penalty had been called and converted and three points were on the line. I am not a huge fan of that line of thinking, but I find myself back in the habit of looking for silver linings... *sigh*
It would appear we have confirmation that MLS has a rule about a named starter being replaced not being eligible for the match. Now FCD fans need to hope that this was a miscommunication between the team and whoever was operating the Twitter feed rather than Barrios being given to the referee crew as a named starter... https://www.bigsoccer.com/threads/fc-dallas-lineup-change-before-orlando.2072352/#post-35926153
It is quite possible. I don't completely agree with his "so what if they did break the rules" bit on general principles, but it is a fair comment - the league does not have a good track record here. And does the league really want this to be their first forfeit? (I haven't heard of an MLS game being forfeited... have I missed one?)
As I mentioned elsewhere, giving OCSC a forfeit win would directly impact the Red Bulls’ playoff chances, as well as the playoff chances of the three teams (MON, NE, and PHI) that are currently tied with OCSC at 39 points, and if the league were to give OCSC a forfeit win, they’d be getting angry phone calls from those teams really quickly. After all, why should they be punished because of FCD’s screwup? Given that issue, I can see MLS pulling an NCAA and retroactively giving FCD a loss in that game (and docking the point that they got), but not giving OCSC a win. Or they’ll fine or suspend Pareja for a game.
My understanding of the rules (that are not frustratingly not public) are they have two choices if the accusation is true - forfeit or replay. I don't think splitting the baby that way is an option - although you are absolutely right about the way the other teams would react.
I'm with Hitman on this. Lineups distributed via Twitter, Facebook or any other social media platform should not ever be considered official. Unless there was discrepancy with the official lineup sheet then there is no story here.
Sadly, I think we have confirmation there were two rosters. https://www.themaneland.com/2017/10...e-used-ineligible-player-against-orlando-city This also would explain why no one has a copy of the first report to produce - except for, probably, the referee crew whose job it was to record and report, not make decisions about the impact of playing ineligible players. Wasn't there a Gold Cup game forfeited and yet played even though everyone knew up front one of the teams was insisting on playing an ineligible player? Same thing. Now, that is assuming the 1st report was given to the referees - but considering the timeline, it seems likely the 1st report was given to the crew, they checked the team in, then after a period of time, the second roster was prepared. We will see. I can't say I have a good feeling about it now.
No idea. No one talking officially makes me think everyone is being given a chance to be heard (OCSC, FCD, but also teams like Houston, East teams that OCSC is fighting with for playoff position) which could take some time. Later this week, maybe?
I think that only confirms the same thing hitman was stating. Two media (social or live) lineups were circulated. Still need to see what was turned into the officials to sanction and punishment.
No kidding. This has the potential to benefit RSL, but I don't want it to be true. I hope this is a social media phenomenon and nothing more.
Not really. The lineup circulated to the media 60 minutes before gametime almost certainly was the one also given to the referees as the second lineup wasn't submitted until very close to gametime - and no way the referees don't get the original lineup in that window. They have to check the teams in and would be doing so using that lineup. Is it *possible* that the Barrios lineup was not actually submitted to the referees? Yes. But based on what I have gathered, that is *very* unlikely (95% probability). The one references by the SB Nation page above talks about the physical lineup handed out in the media area - not what was posted on Twitter.
Sadly, so much of the raw data we need to know what happened is not being produced - not the actual rule, and not the actual reports. It is very frustrating.
My hope too, but the more I dig into it, the more this feels like FCD really pooed the scrooch, and MLS is going by the book because people are not going to be happy about the enforcement of the rules - in whatever form MLS decides to go with.
This is also MLS, so everyone banking on them following the rules to the T are obviously new to this league. On the other hand, we're not one of their darling teams so they couldn't give 2 f ucks about us...
But NYRB might be and it would place Orlando closer to beating them out. Poor MLS HQ. Do you hate FCD more than you love RBNY?