USL1 Week 1: https://proreferees.com/2024/03/05/2024-usl-league-one-assignments-week-1/ USLC Week 1: https://proreferees.com/2024/03/05/2024-usl-championship-assignments-week-1/ You will notice that USL1's referee for South Georgia Tormenta vs Central Valley Fuego was the same that refereed MLS Dallas v Montreal game a few days ago.
USL1 Week 2: https://proreferees.com/2024/03/12/2024-usl-league-one-assignments-week-2/ USLC Week 2: https://proreferees.com/2024/03/12/2024-usl-championship-assignments-week-2/ Also coming this week, MLS Next Pro and NWSL.
MLSNP Wk 1: https://proreferees.com/2024/03/13/2024-mls-next-pro-assignments-week-1/ NWSL Challenge Cup: https://proreferees.com/2024/03/13/2024-nwsl-challenge-cup-assignments/ NWSL Wk 1: https://proreferees.com/2024/03/13/2024-nwsl-assignments-week-1/
So, uh, any reports after this weekend's games? Anything interesting happen in, oh, I don't know, somewhere in the South-Southeast that had a multi-goal thriller?
I *saw* that Austin II vs Tacoma Defiance was a snoozer for the first half with one yellow. The second half started out with 3 yellows in the first 7 minutes of the second including a 2CT for blocking the keeper from distributing the ball. Austin knew they screwed up and another player tried to take the card instead of the player already on a card. The game really opened up ending 3-1.
Are the effects of the lockout trickling down to the other leagues? Look at the NWSL assignments for this week. It’s the same 5-6 people doing VAR for all the matches.
But it was always kind of that way. The goal was for PRO to develop a pipeline of VARs that are only essentially NWSL specific. They didn't want to have to use predominantly, MLS VARs, like they did in the beginning when NWSL introduced VAR.
It's worth noting again that the VORs for NWSL and MLS are no longer in the same city as the leagues are no longer using the same technology provider (MLS is now with Sportec Solutions). The days of MLS VARs moonlighting on NWSL games even outside of the lockout are presumably over.
But my point is, there are 7 games, which 14 VAR slots. These 14 slots are being covered by only 6 people. Do they not have anybody else?
In the NWSL, Washington's goalkeeper Kingsbury was shown a red for DOGSO after VAR (and it took at least 5 minutes at the screen). Yesterday the red card was rescinded. Unkel has a long thread explaining the red card that starts here (she posted before it was rescinded): 🧵 #NWSL DOGSO HANDLING CATEGORYDOGSO - Denying an OBVIOUS goal scoring opportunity. 4 considerations to arrive at the recommended decision and 2 not being debated - distance goal ✅ - direction of goal ✅ Qs in (1) number defenders (2) likelihood of attacker gaining control https://t.co/v4FFvCKgSR— Christina Unkel (@ChristinaUnkel) March 21, 2024 The play in the highlights starts at about 4:35: For just a bit more context, you can also see in the highlights (back it up to about 3:40) that earlier in the 2nd half, Washington also had a goal nullified by VAR, so there were some upset Washington fans after the game. I thought the red card was harsh, but I was still a bit surprised it was rescinded. Thoughts? (Also who's even on the independent review panel?)
For followers of the NWSL, nothing in this league is surprising. They are notorious for overturning red cards. The same league where the players complained about the officiating. The only legitimate argument I can see is that they're claiming it's not 100% clear the ball was not entirely outside of the penalty area at the time of the hand ball, because of the poor camera angles. Yes, it's lame that they couldn't provide a reason with their statement why it was being overturned to have some transparency.
I have to be honest usually I agree with DOGSO reds and do the “remove the fouler from the equation” stuff, but in this case the defender actually was closer to the ball than the attacker was. Likelihood of gaining possession is the most important aspect of DOGSO (because obviously without possession you can’t have a GSO), and when you have a ball bouncing in the air and the defender actually has position on you being closer to the ball that would be bouncing past, I feel that the OBVIOUS aspect of DOGSO and the potential for debate about if the attacker could have gotten the ball would make this SPA rather than DOGSO. I understand uncles point about the fact that since it’s the GK doing it, it leaves an open goal behind her so maybe the attacker doesn’t need to have 100% dead on possession to score since she could just do a slight tap, but with the bouncing ball and defender being closer, I still don’t think that the likelihood of her getting in a position to even be able to tap it in is likely enough to make it a DOGSO
Just saw something I have never seen before in a soccer match: a missed penalty followed immediately by another penalty call pic.twitter.com/1IWcwlW5T5— Caleb Turner (@calebturner23) March 23, 2024 And the first one looked pretty stonewall, too!
You know, not only are they wearing pink tonight, but the refere has a pink holster for the vanishing spray.
So NWSL Inside Video Review didn’t mention that goalkeeper DOGSO red card that got rescinded, but they did show two (other?) incorrect reviews.
They covered it in the Definitive Angle: PRO’s opinion: This play did not meet all DOGSO considerations. Tara McKeown (WAS) was shielding Jordyn Huitema (RGN) and would have been able to play the ball first. Huitema never possessed the ball, and the chance of playing the ball first was low. This was an incorrect intervention, and this play should not have been sent for review.
Always feels good to have PRO back up your opinion like the one I said above. Couldn’t believe this would even be called down when the defender was literally closer to the ball bouncing past them, let alone the center agreeing with it
https://proreferees.com/2024/03/26/2024-usl-championship-assignments-week-4/ https://proreferees.com/2024/03/27/2024-mls-next-pro-assignments-week-3/ https://proreferees.com/2024/03/26/2024-usl-league-one-assignments-week-4/ From a quick glance, 3 referees who participated during the lockout have all received CR positions this weekend. The question will be... was it worth it? Also best of luck to certain officials performing this weekend.
MLS assignments during the lockout were being made the week of. They were very likely all turning back previous assignments whether PRO-assigned or not.
Had a loooooooooong review for DOGSO in ORL/CHI NWSL match yesterday. Commentators said it all took 7 minutes, but I'm not sure exact time. Regardless, the play on decision on the field stood in the end. Mid-70s minute-wise. Voigt referee, and while the commentators said Broadley on air, PRO lists Tehini at VAR.
KC-Angel City -- very long VAR check on a goal that had been ruled out for offside. The only angle shown to the TV audience was at an angle where you couldn't really tell, but the lines in the grass made it pretty clear to me that the call was correct. At the VERY least, there wasn't enough evidence to overturn the call. After several minutes, they summoned Chesky for OFR. And she gave the goal. What are we doing here?