Two simple questions. 1. Do you believe that Mike Jeffries cheated since he used the same mechanism to get a fourth sub? 2. Do you believe that Steve Nicol cheated since he used the same mechanism to sub his backup keeper for an injured field player? That's my whole point. The Cheating Bob line is completely irrational since he was far from the first person to do it. So if you believe in Cheating Bob, you must believe in Cheating Mike, Cheating Steve, Cheating Bob (Gansler) and Cheating Fernando, who did it first last year. And Almost Cheating Sigi, who planned to do it. Getting up in arms about it just because it's the Metros and we lost the game screams of sour grapes. We're bad enough as it is.
Yes. This is a tougher call, but I would say yes. I think the sub should only be used if your keeper is injured. Yes, there's a whole fraternity of cheaters! Yes, it is sour grapes. I'm still stinging from that loss, and the bad taste in my mouth about that substitution is definitely influenced by Gueverra's rolling around on the ground during that game, their refusal to play the ball back to us after Tino played the ball over the touch line (notwithstanding their claim that we did it first), and Walker's time wasting tactics a few weeks ago. Plus, it pisses me off that the Metros' coach is 10x better than ours. Just because he is Cheatin' Bob doesn't mean he's not a great coach!
Uniforms are covered under Rule 4 - Player Equipment It's not like the Consitution. There's nothing there governing what a player can and cannot wear under their jerseys. The Wizards were fined because their uniforms were not "easily distinguishable from their opponent's." Keep digging.
1. Where does it say in the rules there that every player's uniform must be the same color? 2. Do you agree that a field player would not have been permitted to wear Howard's attire (a long sleeve yellow shirt with GK gloves) at the start of the match? 3. As I stated, based on what Gavin and Howard were wearing, it was not easy to distinguish which of them was the GK. You can disagree with that conclusion if you want, but if you agree with me on that point, then it was illegal.
Solid. I don't like irrationality, but as long as you're down with it, rock on. Like I said, I was on record as hating the rule in May, long before the cool kids were doing it. But I refuse to get all over Bradley for doing it, not just because he wasn't the first, but partially because he was the first to do it ... and win. Sucks that it cost us, but as a fan of the game (and someone who played the rules to the limit when I coached wrestling), I gotta tip my hat to someone who does what it takes to win. Because I would feel the same way if our guy had done it - hate the rule, but admired someone who can take advantage of it.
The same place it says that United has to wear black and the Galaxy have to wear teal - it doesn't. However, the definition of the word uniform implies they'd all wear the same thing. Yes. But no one did. Tim Howard as a field player, wearing a white jersey, and white shorts, and looking pretty much like the rest of the team he's huddled with. Eddie Gavin as a goalkeeper wearing a grey, not white jersey, and looking quite different from the field players If you can't distinguish Howard's white jersey from Gavin's grey jersey, you might want to visit your local optician.
And wearing the same thing means that any long-sleeve undershirt worn under your jersey must be the same color... and certainly can't be florescent yellow... unless that is also what your teammates wear (which would make it "uniform"). So it would be illegal for a field player to wear what Howard had on at the start of the match, but not in the middle of it? Why would the uniform rules be different in minute 1 than minute 91? This is the crux of the issue. The question is not which looks more like the GK and which looks more like a field player. The question is whether Howard's attire, if viewed by an opposing player out of the corner of his eye as he approached the goal, could reasonably cause him to be mistaken for a keeper. I think it's quite possible that a player seeing Howard wearing a long-sleeve florescent jersey with GK gloves on might make such a mistake when only having a split second to look at him. If so, then his attire is illegal under the LOTG and Bradley will forever be Cheatin' Bob!
Agreed. I'm just being facetious with the "Cheatin' Bob" stuff. Bradley is a great coach and I would trade him for Ray in a heartbeat. I just think the rule is absolutely stupid, and that the way MLS coaches are using it is clearly contrary to what USSF intended. Hence, I think technicalities like requiring the keeper to change into complete field player attire (and vice versa) should be enforced. Otherwise, the whole thing is just a sham and they should simply have a 4th substitution that you can use in any manner you want.
The worst was when Nicol subbed out Joseph when he was hurt. Joseph put on the goalie stuff and Reis went into the field. Backup keeper Kyle Singer came in for Joseph while Reis played up top. After a couple of minutes, Reis and Singer switched positions. They had three frigging keepers, all of which played the field at one point.
I thought FIFA's memo to MLS pretty much resolved all of this nonsense. It indicated that MLS needed to comply with FIFA substitution rules, that 4 field players (regardless of how you interpreted the GK sub rule) wasn't appropriate. Arguing about the color of shorts, whether names are on the back of uniforms, uniform codes--whatever. MLS (with the 3 subs and a GK sub) had made the argument to FIFA that MLS was consistent with FIFA rules b/c only 3 field players were allowed in matches. So...either that rule was subverted (by the GK switches) from MLS' intent. OR, MLS allows the rule to be in violation of FIFA standards. In either case FIFA put MLS on warning after the Gaven-Howard switch.
I believe that FIFA's memo on this came out during the season. Since MLS was in season any rules changes or clarifications are not implemented until the following season mainly so that the rules aren't being changed mid-way through a competition, which could lead to a complaint and a whole lot of haranguing. Typically FIFA will allow the season to finish under the "old" rules. So I fully expect MLS to be compliant for next season.
So if Ray is fired or quits, do you think the new coach will be as virtuous as some here or do you think (and for that matter, want) he'll be a cheater like Bradley, Jeffries, Nichol and Gansler? If he cheats his way to MLS Cup like Gansler, Bradley and Nichol have, will we all be happy? And, who do we think this new cheater will be? (See what I have to do to get this, I should say try to get this, back on topic?) BTW, BarbDett, I LOVE your sig.
I don't think the fourth sub rule will be around in its current form next year so this won't be an issue.
Actually, Gansler is a semi-new name to the mix. I know a number of KC fans want a change but I have no idea how realistic that is. I thought Gansler was a finalist for the DCU headman job previously so Payne thinks highly of him. I personally think Myernick would be a good choice. Arena thinks the world of him. He has pro playing and coaching experience. He thinks highly of Carroll, Warren, Stokes, Eskandarian and Convey. He's a gritty, non-nonsense kind of guy. I doubt he'd give up the Olympic job to say "yes" but you never can tell unless you make him an offer.
I once again bring out my darkhorse candidate Mo Johnston. He currently is Cheatin' Bob's assistant, so if anyone can get the most out of the rules, he can . Beyond that, he knows the league inside and out, I think that working with a young team in NY and seeing how Bradley has used the youth is a plus. Bonus: We won't need to adjust to a new accent since he and Ray sound similar!! Maybe not an ideal candidate, but I think he deserves a look.
I wouldn't object to a modified rule that truly allowed only for a GK sub, e.g., requiring the keeper who is substituted for to leave the game, and requiring the player going in to play keeper. I'd favor it primarily because, if a keeper is hurt after the 3 subs, he would be under enormous pressure to stay in a game, possibly risking serious harm. Of course, the same is true of a field player after the 3 subs, but they typically can get looked at more carefully on the sideline before re-entering a game, and if a team is going to have to play a man down, it obviously is better to remove a field player. So there is less pressure on a field player to "suck it up" when, medically, that would not be a good thing to do. If this form of the rule had been in place, Bradley couldn't have pulled his switch and, for that matter, Meola couldn't have gone to forward after the three subs either. Final requirement: MLS should be FIFA-compliant in all ways, IMO, and if FIFA doesn't adopt such a rule, MLS shouldn't either. (Same goes for GD overtime!).