10/20/22 Philadelphia Union vs FC Cincinnati Subaru Park (8PM ET) REF: Timothy Ford **1st Playoff Assignment AR1: Nick Uranga AR2: Jeremy Kieso 4TH: Marcos DeOliveira VAR: Kevin Stott AVAR: Mike Kampmeinert Los Angeles FC vs LA Galaxy Banc of California Stadium (10PM ET) REF: Allen Chapman AR1: Ian Anderson AR2: Jeremy Hanson 4TH: Alex Chilowicz VAR: Jose Carlos Rivero AVAR: Jonathan Johnson 10/23/22 CF Montréal vs New York City Stade Saputo (1PM ET) REF: Drew Fischer AR1: Cory Richardson AR2: Oscar Mitchell-Carvalho 4TH: Jon Freemon VAR: Chris Penso AVAR: Craig Lowry Austin FC vs FC Dallas Q2 Stadium (8PM ET) REF: Joe Dickerson AR1: Kathryn Nesbitt AR2: Chris Elliott 4TH: Guido Gonzales Jr VAR: Edvin Jurisevic AVAR: Joshua Patlak
Wow, good for Ford. It seems unusual for PRO to give someone their debut whistle in the second round. I want to say that’s the first time that’s happened since the previous format went away 4 years ago? Back then I think it was more common because matchups were two-legged.
While no one is making their overall playoff debuts this round, there are several first-timers in various officiating roles: Tim Ford (Referee) Jose Carlos Rivero (VAR) Jon Freemon (4th)
Seems like the Penso-Villarreal SFs, Elfath Final has written itself now. But I suppose there's a chance that Penso is earmarked for VAR-only duty these playoffs; that would feel really weird, but the idea can't be discounted. If it's not Penso, my bet is that Chapman gets repeated in the East (presuming he comes out of LA clean). But I'd lean heavily toward Penso.
??? No one was repeated from the first round and his first round game was his first playoff match ever.
The FS1 production crew might want to turn down that mic near Noonan. We are getting quite an education for what a MLS coach says to a fourth official.
Heard a very clear “dammit” from Noonan on that turnover. also, whoever is “singing” Carnivale de Paris off key near that mic is not enhancing the viewing experience
Interesting game from Ford. All told, he kept a decent lid on what felt like could be a powder keg. We’ve mentioned the one strange caution, but things could have exploded and didn’t. Maybe he could have clamped down harder on things around 65 minutes when it got pretty feisty, but I’m imagining PRO will generally be good with this one. Now the next one tonight could be fun……
I thought overall he had a good game - it was a heated rivalry in an intense atmosphere and he kept things under wraps. Overall I like his management style although I'm not sure how effective it was from mid-second half onwards.
I did not see this but wish I had I don't know if the broadcast caught it or not, but while Jose Martinez was down receiving medical treatment, the ref used the magic spray to draw a circle around Martinez and the Union staffers like he would for the wall on a free kick. Just incredible scenes.— Tom Bogert (@tombogert) October 21, 2022
I wish we would have a better angle for that fracas. Never really got a good view on the FS1 broadcast replays of whether there was any contact caused by Puig with his head. Have to admit that was a pretty strong comment by Donovan saying it’s a red in a regular season game.
Wow, I’m quite surprised Puig is still on the field after that. By ref or by VAR, that’s gotta be a red one way or the other for the headbutt.
Donovan saying he respects Chapman not “ruining the game,” I have to say I’d respect a lot more a referee who has the guts to make such a big call so early in the match. Where “managing the event” goes wrong…
While I THINK Puig had a headbutt, live action and the (really bad) replays weren’t conclusive for me. How Fox didn’t have a camera angle that wasn’t at ground level with a beyond me. That would probably influence my opinion on Chapman’s final decision.
Oliver have red for less and via VAR about 7 hours ago. When the EPL has a lower VAR standard than MLS…
It’s a bullshit play by the defender though, standing over Puig taunting him. League needs to crack down on that shit, happens way too often.
This was always my fear with VAR. When the chips are really down and you have to make a big call 12 minutes into a game and you don't because it's 12 minutes into a playoff game. So disappointing and so unsurprising.
Chapman did the best he could, isolating the player and (trying to) wave off the players coming in to bitch. Unfortunate that he has to resort to tactics like that. When is soccer going to solve their ‘surrounding the referee’ problem? It’s saddening really.
League doesn’t need to do a thing. We have the tools. Yellow for the aggressive behavior. Red for the violent reaction. It’s pretty easy.
Okay, no one covers themselves in glory here and I could probably write ike 10 paragraphs on this, but in the interest of keeping it simple… They are bitching because they are worried he will let Puig off without a red card. And he isolated him to give… a yellow card. Sure, the surrounding is a problem. But not making the correct and expected decision is also a major problem. I guarantee you Chapman at least thought harder about red because of the reaction. Until everyone is confident referees will do the right thing, the mass crowding will always be a secondary or tertiary problem. This one is so bizarre to me. I got an ESPN push alert from the app saying “only a yellow for this?!” That never happens. Everyone knows the answer here and some in the referee community and in league offices or broadcast booths will bend over backwards to pretend the wrong answer is the best answer.
The free kick/penalty decision just before halftime is almost as fascinating. Penalty called in real time. Changed to free kick after consultation with AR. Replays showed… simulation? Ruiz is dragging both feet before any contact. I think the actual contact is with the defenders non stretched leg, so to the extent it is a foul, free kick is correct. But if penalty had been maintained as the onfield decision, Rivero and Chapman would have had a big decision to make with any of three outcomes plausible (which is oh so ironic with the clear and obvious standard!).