A summary of your opinions, revised: LA -- Stefani Miglioranzi (caution; Reckless Tackle) 19 (legit) CHV -- Paulo Nagamura (caution; Reckless Foul) 25 (soft) LA -- Eddie Lewis (caution; Reckless Foul) 26 (legit) CHV -- Sacha Kljestan (caution; Reckless Foul) 33 (legit) CHV -- Shavar Thomas (caution; Reckless Tackle) 36 (soft) CHV -- Atiba Harris (caution; Reckless Tackle) 38 (should have been called to be consistent with first 35 minutes) CHV -- Sacha Kljestan (caution; Dissent) 40 (callable, but not called) CHV -- Shavar Thomas (caution; UB/DOGSO) 43 (should have been called) CHV -- Paulo Nagamura (ejection; Second Caution) 45 (legit) CHV -- Chris Klein (caution; Reckless Tackle) 5? (borderline, should have been called to be consistent with first 35 minutes) CHV -- Atiba Harris (caution; Reckless Tackle) 58 (borderline, should have been called to be consistent with first 35 minutes) LA -- Alan Gordon (caution; Dissent) 68 (borderline, should not have been called to be consistent with Kljestan no card) CHV -- Mariano Trujillo (caution; Reckless Tackle) 68 (borderline, should have been called to be consistent with first 35 minutes) LA -- Alan Gordon (ejection; Second Caution) 71 (soft/legit, not sure) LA -- Gregg Berhalter (ejection; Denied Goal Scoring Opportunity) (legit) 79 I agree that it is inconsistent in one sense, but it is consistent if allow the fact that he already has a yellow card to be taken into account. In your opinion, it should be completely ignored. Other factors that might make two calls seem inconsistent might be how early in the game they occur, how much warning has been given for similar play, whether or not there is an element of retaliation, etc. I don't know, but this seems to be a clear exaggeration of what I said. He should only be allowed to get away with pillaging . I'm sorry if you feel I would be irresponsible to take into account a foul that occurred two minutes earlier when another foul occurs two minutes later. You call it inconsistency, I call it taking into account game situations. As to dissent, this is almost never carded immediately. If the dissent continues to get louder and more abusive, eventually a card will come out. In Gordon's case, he may have been given a warning that no further abuse would be tolerated. It is rather ridiculous to declare that Weyland was inconsistent in this regard, unless all the players agree that he was. Suppose Weyland had been extremely consistent, and carded the player in every single one of the cardable situations: LA -- Stefani Miglioranzi (caution; Reckless Tackle) 19 (legit) CHV -- Paulo Nagamura (caution; Reckless Foul) 25 (soft) LA -- Eddie Lewis (caution; Reckless Foul) 26 (legit) CHV -- Sacha Kljestan (caution; Reckless Foul) 33 (legit) CHV -- Shavar Thomas (caution; Reckless Tackle) 36 (soft) CHV -- Atiba Harris (caution; Reckless Tackle) 38 (should have been called to be consistent with first 35 minutes) CHV -- Sacha Kljestan (caution; Dissent) 40 (callable, but not called) CHV -- Shavar Thomas (caution; UB/DOGSO) 43 (should have been called) CHV -- Paulo Nagamura (ejection; Second Caution) 45 (legit) CHV -- Chris Klein (caution; Reckless Tackle) 5? (borderline, should have been called to be consistent with first 35 minutes) CHV -- Atiba Harris (caution; Reckless Tackle) 58 (borderline, should have been called to be consistent with first 35 minutes) LA -- Alan Gordon (caution; Dissent) 68 (borderline, should not have been called to be consistent with Kljestan no card) CHV -- Mariano Trujillo (caution; Reckless Tackle) 68 (borderline, should have been called to be consistent with first 35 minutes) LA -- Alan Gordon (ejection; Second Caution) 71 (soft/legit, not sure) LA -- Gregg Berhalter (ejection; Denied Goal Scoring Opportunity) (legit) 79 By minute 58, Nagamura, Kljestan, Thomas, and Harris, all Chivas players, would be gone. If any other Chivas player was ejected, the game would have to be abandoned. The good news is, Gordon and Berhalter probably would have stayed on the pitch, as there wouldn't have been any reason for them to foul. Would you want a consistent ref like that in MLS? In short, I don't agree with your opinion that Weyland was vastly inconsistent as the game progressed, in roughly 30 minute periods. I do agree there is no use discussing it any more.
Are you saying a referee should let players get away with murder just because their team is down a man or two? If a team is going to keep on committing cautionable offenses with two or three players already ejected, then the referee has no choice in the matter. Of course, had Weyland followed through with the second yellow on Thomas, then he would not have sent the signal that he was going to sew his pocket shut, and Kljestan and Harris would most likely have behaved better in the second half. Nagamura still might have been sent off, but it also becomes less likely. Consistency is maintained, but certainly you wouldn't have seen Chivas get four reds.
I've mentioned this before, but a) it's hilarious and b) I'm still a tiny bit pissed off. (20 years later.) When I was a kid, I once got whistled for allegedly handling the ball outside the box. The other team was awarded a penalty kick. And people complain that further expansion would dilute the league's player pool.
That's ridiculous. You can get a red for any obvious, cynical foul. The change in the rules REQUIRES it if an obvious goal-scoring opportunity is taken away. FIFA's intent was not to allow cynical fouls to continue with impunity in any situation in which a defender could possibly get back, as your interpretation would do.