2024 MLS Playoffs Best of Three, Game 1 Referee Discussion

Great teamwork by Penso here.

 

I love this new playoff format, as a fan. Just like last year, these playoffs have already been spicy so far! That’s what, 3 red cards and could/should have been 3 more through 8 games? And that’s not even getting to Game 2 or Game 3 against the same opponents yet!

 

PK just given to Seattle at 90+10 by Unkel for handling... very close decision and seems that the arm was in a natural position - will see if VAR overturns.

 

I have that as a correct review and overturn. Arm was in a natural position close to the player’s side.

One note on this though, I don’t think enough time was added on afterwards. In added time there were 2 substitution moments that took mire than 30 seconds each, and the handball check and review itself was a bit over 3 minutes. So I think, no matter what, we should have been getting at least 4 additional minutes on top of the original 12 added (a super strict tabulation would probably come out to 5, even). Instead, we only got a little less than 3 extra minutes, which was shorter than just the check+review alone.

 

I agree. It was stupid and easily could be red, but he was just trying to upend him rather than cleat him.

 

KFTM are simply embarrassing these days.
The tiny steps, stutters, stops, need to be outlawed.

 

Why? It’s not like the guys doing that are getting a u fair advantage and making a lot more than the ones that don’t. The stop at the ball was outlawed because it was in fact unfair to the GK with the GK restrictions.

 

Which is no longer called. One of the first ones last night was a definite stop, keeper dives, the ball kicked in net. Nothing done.

It is already tilted against keepers. All the feints, stutter steps, stopping, etc make it even more difficult on keepers.

 

What is not permitted is to get all the way up to the ball, fake a kick in one direction, and then pass it into the other side of the goal. That is not what happened here. You and I might not like the move, and maybe it should be illegal, but under the current laws of the game it is legal.

 

It’s the same for keepers on both teams in KFTM, so not a fairness issue. If there is a fairness issue, it is would be on I -game PKs, where it affects the severity of the punishment if it changes the chance of success. The ability of the kicker to stop (not feint) at the ball adds risk to a GK guessing the timing. But there is also risk to the kicker—if the kicker stops and the GK hasn’t moved, the kicker has a touch shot with no run up.

IFAB cares about entertainment ($$$) as well as fairness. Having more different styles of kicks in shoot outs adds to the entertainment value, so I don’t see any chance IFAB is going to throttle back feints/stutters in any significant way.

 

Other than (usually English) pundit quacks online, I’ve hardly ever seen anyone complain about stutter step PKs outside of this forum. Do some of y’all just get angry when you see someone stop in the run-up of a kick because it ‘looks ridiculous’ or something? Each to their own, but I don’t get it.

 

People complain all the time on Reddit. I don’t openly criticize it but it’s incredibly annoying. Penalty kicks are already something like 75-80% converted. It’s more or less awarding a goal if you call one. Why can’t the player just run up and take a shot.

 

I agree it's currently legal which is why it says "needs to be outlawed"

 

While we disagree about who it hurts, I agree that the driving force behind all decisions is ca$h

 

Originally it was legal to stop, start, etc at any time.

Then it was made that you had to just run up (no stutter steps, stops, etc at all) and kick the ball in one smooth movement.

Then it was determined that wasn't what the game wanted (also, really tough to enforce).

Which is why it is legal again. Except for stopping right at the end.

 

That was a HS rule, but I don’t believe it was ever in the Laws.

 

https://www.mlssoccer.com/competitions/mls-cup-playoffs-cup-short/2024/matches/rslvsmin-10-29-2024/

3:14 mark.
The long step and hard stomp (which I'd argue was a stop) should be illegal.
He didn't feint after the stop which is currently illegal, but he did stop and wait.
It should have to be continuous motion. His certainly wasn't.

Is there a law on how long he could have stood there stopped as long as he never feinted?

 

No directly—at some point I suppose it could be delaying the restart and a caution, but realistically he can stand there. To what advantage? He’s now limited to a standing kick and has to be careful of not doing anything that would be deemed a feint. Once he stops and the GK didn’t guess and dive, this has become a poor proposition for the kicker.