Well there were still legit questions, even for former referees like me, because there were oddities. Things that you would know if you memorized the rule book, but are still so rare that you'd have trouble figuring them out right away. When's the last time a keeper got sent off during a shootout? I've NEVER SEEN IT before. And I would assume you can't substitute for someone who gets a red card -- I got that right. But I had forgotten that there was a special provision for injured goalkeepers, or how it would work at that point. Also, in this game, there were ten eligible kickers each. Orlando was playing with 10 due to a red card. Bringing "reduce to equate" into play. I knew that much. But once someone gets kicked out, Orlando only has nine kickers, because they're done to nine players. Does NYC have to eliminate one more kicker to get down to nine? Apparently, the answer to that is no. But then, if that shootout drags out to a tenth round, NYC is sending their worst kicker up there while Orlando goes back to the top of the order, which is unfair. Also also, starting next year, cautions given during the match don't carry over into KFTM. Meaning next year, this keeper, despite already having a caution, wouldn't have been sent off even if he DID get cautioned again. KFTM don't sound complicated until this kind of weird shit starts happening. The referee blew the full-time whistle even though the score was still tied after NYC's seventh kick, and the Orlando players didn't catch it either. The whole thing was just absurd. It's another one of those "only in MLS" moments that will go down in history. But it actually could have been worse. Can you imagine if they had allowed the substitute keeper to play, and Orlando had won? They'd have been in "order a replay" territory.
No. This is just such an absurd sequence of events that I truly believe there are referees/crews all over the world that could have bungled this. Because it's MLS, it's another opportunity for people to comment on how awful it is, but if it was in the Champions League, it would just be described as amazing drama. With the exception of Chapman giving the signal for the end of the match when the score was still tied. That's all on him.
How in the hell is Roger Espinoza still playing for SKC? He was one of the guys, along with Eric Brunner, who transferred into tOSU to play with Xavier Balc and make a run for the nationsl title. They lost to Wake Forest in the final, Brunner had a pro career of sorts, as did Lachem, and no one has ever been able to explain why Balc, the consensus best player in the country, never got more than a cup of coffee in MLS, but Espinoza us still running around out there. Seems like a million years ago.
I always attributed that to over valuing of physical ability over technical ability by MLS and the domestic game in general.
I don't know if anyone else has mentioned this, but I just read it on Twitter, and as far as I can tell this is accurate: If SJ upsets KC in the next few minutes, the Crew would host MLS Cup should they get there. KC was the only team in the West with a higher PPG than us.
The referee crew did allow the GK sub to happen, which they eventually corrected before any PK attempts, but that was still sloppy and on them. I did hear that this ref crew has been invited to take the rest of the playoffs off, so somebody is blaming them for something.
25 minutes in and the Revs are taking it to the Union. Up 1-0. Union don’t look as sharp as they have recently. Nashville also leading in their game.
FWIW, Sept 19 at Mapfre, Crew 2: Nashville 0. Without Zelarayan, Nagbe, and J. Williams. Diaz & Mokhtar wide. Nashville a different beast now, methinks.
What is better? Alejandro with the shout out to winning the cup with the Crew in 2008, or Jim Curtin being shutout? Neither to me. Both are awesome.
I think most people would still call us favorites....but I dont think anybody should be over the moon at the fact that we get Nashville instead or Toronto. Nashville has gotten hot at the perfect time. I'm almost kind of scared this will be a trap game where we wind up playing down to our opponents level and then get punched in the face. Hope I'm wrong. Also....we sure as hell better be the ones in all yellow. Posers.
Unless SKC comes out of the West, we don't have to play another road game. Technically, one of the MLSisBack wins was a "road" game, maybe 2.
I thought they would park the bus vs TFC. That is their MO. And after a strong first 10-15 minutes, that was what the first half was. But that second half and extra time, they were better. Though I must admit, that Lovitz foul could have been a PK.
Yeah, Nashville looked really good but I'll take our chances at home against anyone over having to go to Chester and Connecticut. We'll also make Nashville have to be more honest defensively. They won't be able to keep pushing their backline further upfield as the game goes on like they did tonight.