After watching many times I could not see any contact. Hartman said he didn't touch dema and said dema told him he slipped but did not dive intentionally. I don't think Dema actually dives as much as he just can't stay up on his own two feet when changing directions.
Thanks. If he wasn't touch then he dove. That much I am sure of cuz he took a leap. He does seem to fall down a lot, even when he isn't diving. He attacks with a lot of speed and that can throw off a persons balance. I still hope he becomes the Dema of old again someday soon.
Seating in section 109, Ruiz looked clearly ONSIDE on the final goal. Perez got caught looking too much to move up field. The critical play was the Dema's dive. It changed the whole dynamic of the second half. He has to struggle to keep his balance on the the play. Then, if he goes down it's impossible for the ref to call a dive. It may result in a no call or a penalty, but not second yellow to Dema. It was a stupid, stupid play by Dema. As to the final goal, this is not the first game where Perez has been victimized. If you'll recall, a week or two ago, it was Perez who had the ball stolen from him late to give up the go ahead goal. I believe it was also Perez that initially got beaten on a similar near breakaway to yield the corner that produced LA's first goal. I thought DMB played rather well Saturday. He sure had EZ tiedup in knots. He showed a lot better sense of how and when to take on players. If you'll remember the last couple years, it's been EZ who's used his size to dominate DMB. DMB did a great job of not letting anybody get close to knock him off the ball. If they tried he cut away and didn't let them close in.
John Rekenthaler Agreed on all three points. I was Section 15, right smack on the 50-yard-line (which of course one couldn't miss). Ruiz - Appeared onside. Classic backfire of an offside trap. Dema - Couldn't possibly tell if he was touched or not, but he certainly acted as if he was touched. Don't think it's possible to just "fall" in that fashion. The whole diving/yellow card call requires that the referee judge intent -- and you can't blame the ref in that respect, since Dema's body language clearly read "I want a call." Ezra - Beasley absolutely, positively owned Ezra. Ezra appeared to know it, and was desparately clutching at DMB every time the latter made a run. At the MLS level, you rarely see one player so thoroughly dominate another player; I got my money's worth from sitting up-close-and-personal to Ezra's beheading. Unfortunately, I wasn't intelligent to leave the game at halftime.