http://www.ussocceruk.com/modules.p...le=article&sid=47&mode=thread&order=1&thold=0 No more crappy games from him this year. Unfortunately, they're gonna let him back in '03.
Well, I'm not sure if "fired" is the right word, but put maybe something more like "unpaid administrative leave" until next year. Sounds like the whole KC v. United match was complete looney tunes. btw, is he the one who did the Galaxy v. Quakes Open Cup match? While the 2nd half was fine, the 1st half was an abomination officiating-wise in that game as well...
Kevin Terry did the Galaxy/Quakes match. Also, JAnderson14, I would use this example of Kenny as proof that the USSF assessment program does work. Kenny failed two assessments. It's unfortunate for him, but he knows the consequences. As I tried to say repeatedly on the thread in the DC forum, there have been many refs and ARs that have been dropped from MLS duty over the years, as this article says. Unlike what many bigsoccer posters seem to believe, MLS officials don't get a free ride from match to match and from year to year. When referees fail in MLS, they pay. It just so happens that the people assigned to pass/fail the performances of referees think that they fail quite a bit less than most fans do.
And you called yourself the most powerful person in US Soccer. Gus Da Silva, your next !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
How does ussocceruk.com get the scoop on all of this news all the time? Even mls's own site doesn't contain as much news. That's pretty pathetic. Just out of curiosity, who is the other referee who was "suspended" this year for poor performances as noted in the article?
I have a hard time believing that they would actually bring him back. Every close call he made from that point forward would be considered questionable at best given his history.
Napolean Kenny, you have met your Waterloo! Sorry to say this, but this feels really good. I haven't felt this good about someone's misfortune in a long, long, time. Napolean Kenny, you have met your Waterloo!
An MLS press release just went out on the MLS website. It contains, verbatim, exactly what was in the ussocceruk.com article. I suspect that ussocceruk.com published the MLS press release prior to MLS posting it on its own site.
The article I read said that he had two "failures." The 4 July match, and the recent KC-DC match. I'm guessing that (at least part of) the problem with the 4 July match was the yellow on Razov for a hand-ball, which calls for a direct free kick. I'm not sure I understand the problem with the KC-DC match though. The biggest sontroversy seems to have been with the re-taken PK. But, if there were DC players inside the 10-yard "area" prior to Etch striking the ball, it was the right call. Was there something else that occurred that was out of line or??????
Can you elaborate on this? I didn't hear about that. Also, remember that assessments aren't just technical "was he right/was he wrong" sessions. Issues such as mechanics, consistency, positioning, man management, etc. are just as important as decisions taken. The failing assessment in the DC match could be for a variety of reasons. It was probably not for any one decision taken by Kenny (in other words, neither the two PKs, nor the decision to disallow the goal can singlehandedly account for this).
Actually, not many Refs in the world would have made that call except for clueless American refs. It 'should' have been called if United missed the penalty and the ball was struck by someone who had indeed encroached, however that was not the case. The goal was scored, and the player who encroached had nothing to do with the play so the goal should have stood. That's the great thing about soccer. Ref's have enormous room to interpret plays, and Noel Kenny proved that he wasn't capable of making such a realisation. He needs to watch the game through the eyes of the player instead of through the fine print of a rule book.
Actually, feuerfex--and Noel Kenny--are both right. And, yet again, someone that posts about the Laws of the Game in a manner that makes it looks that he knows what he's talking about is actually entirely incorrect. Law XIV is very clear: There it is, in black and white, in FIFA's (read: the worldwide) Laws of the Game. There is absolutely no requirement that the ball be played the player who encroaches. If that had happened, then it would have been a free kick to DC (why reward encroachment with a re-take?). However, that didn't happen, and as the Laws say, the kick is retaken if a goal is scored. You may find that to be "reffing through a rule book", but aren't the Laws there for a reason? A PK is a distinct advantage to the attacking team, do they deserve anymore? Also, you say that only "clueless American refs" would make this call. While the call is indeed rare, it has been make by refs other than Americans. The most notable example is WC98, during the 2nd round match between Romania and Croatia, when the Argentinian ref (Castrilli) made Suker retake an otherwise good PK due to encroachment. The difference is, Suker hit his retake.
Actually you are right, the ref has a right to make the call, 'but', for the sake of the game, it should never, and i mean never be called. And that is what I said, the player encroaching didn't affect the play did he? With your interpretation of the game, if a goalie holds the ball for 6.2 seconds then you should absolutely punish him and award a free kick right? Then why is the ball held for 7-8 seconds(sometimes close to ten) on average and never called? Because it would ruin a game to have the ref interfere at every little infraction of the game and it would be totally unfair for the goalies' team to have to deal with such a situation when the goalie did nothing more than hold the ball for a 'second' to long. There are plenty of situations in soccer where the ref has to make similar decisions, and most of the time American refs can't be bothered with logic as you have showed us. Maybe you should be refing basketball or some other sport where the ref doesn't have to have a brain and only has to go by the 'black and white'.
boydreilly, Without seeing the play, I can't say that I agree or disagree with the call. However, I'll say that I've never called it myself. On the flip side though, I can't agree with Mattinho who says it should never be called. The Laws are there for a reason. There are instances where such encroachment can affect the kick. If this was one of them, then I agree with Kenny. If it wasn't, then I disagree with him. Didn't see it so I can't say for certain, but my experience is that more often than not, the encroachment (as Mattinho says) doesn't affect the kick. Anyway, Mattinho, I think you missed the point of my post. I pretty much agree with everything you said in your most recent post (save for the part of "never" calling it...I'd agree with "almost never" or "in most cases"). It just appeared to me that you were claiming in your first post that Kenny's call was factually incorrect. It was "correct". But, as you point out, that doesn't make it right--and I agree with you on that. If you knew me, you'd know that I have a brain and can be "bothered" with logic, as I agree with your logic here. I agree with about 90% of your comments in this thread, in fact, so I'd hope you'd refrain from insults (I'd hope you'd refrain from insults even if I disagreed with you). I'll say again, so that you're clear: I only posted because I thought you were implying that Kenny's call was technically incorrect. As long as you admit that the call is technically correct--even if it's still "wrong" in the spirit of the game--then we don't differ on much. The only thing I disagree with you on is your bias against American referees. In general, on the world stage, they're quite good, as has been proved in each of the last two World Cups and the World Youth Championship (Baharmast, Hall, Stott--all receiving top assignments and performing better than the majority of their European colleagues). Further, I don't understand your notion that American refs "can't be bothered with logic". You use this call by Kenny as an example, but I think we all agree that this call was the exception, not the norm, don't we? I can't remember this being called another time in MLS--ever. What other examples do you have of American refs being "technical" refs? The label does fit for some refs in this country, but that's the case in every league around the world (I'm sure you and I can name several "technical" refs in the EPL right now that are well-known throughout England and UEFA). The label, in my mind, certainly doesn't fit for American refs as a whole.
The trick of this case is, those that have watched videotape of the match will tell you that on all 3 penalties United took (Moreno - save; Etcheverry - goal; Etcheverry - save), Kansas City's Eric Quill "encroached." Bobby Convey of DC joined Matt McKeon of KC with Quill on the Etcheverry goal. I think what is called into question is if Kenny is going to make that call, what decides that he calls it the second time, and not the first or third. This is probably the argument for never calling it, since you'd always have to call it. But, for those that didn't see the match, there were other issues at work; a non-penalty call in the 7th minute, an elbow that went uncalled and, Kansas City's complaint that the penalty Etcheverry took should never have been called, either, which is probably accurate. And as MassRef states accurately, the US Soccer assessor looks at more than just if any particular call was right or wrong. ECM
Right, and as I said before, consistency is one of those things that assessors look at. Whether or not the call is 'correct' would probably be a secondary question by the assessor. The primary question would be about the consistency in the process on all 3 PKs.
I apologize for my insult but you see I have dealt with many o' Ref's who would be inclined to make the call that Noel made and I have little patience for anyone who would ruin a game just because he could claim it is written in 'black and white'. However, if MLS decided to punish Mr. Kenny for that one mistake then I would have to say shame on you MLS. This kind of thing can be resolved, and I think Kenny could be shown the light and could continue his role as MLS ref, and I certainly have to question whether it should be paraded around on the MLS website. I also agree that the rule is there for a reason. If a player is indeed ridiculously far into a box when the ball is struck then I think the call should be made as it may catch the goalie's eye and cause a disturbance for him, a moment of confusion if you will. But, I think most decisions by the ref should be made on the principle of fairness to both teams. Most likely KC would have never complained after the penalty was converted(as in this case) and thusly the game could have continued with no controversy. Nobody would have complained about an encroachment by a DC player and the game would have continued(except for any complaints about the original call). It seems that many ref's wish to call things like bad throw-ins even though nobody would notice if it wasn't called, and that to me hurts the game.
God, you are annoying. First you insult American refs, though we have done well at the highest level (i.e. see the last World Cup). Then you insult basketball refs, who need to make dozens of difficult calls.
I agree with the suspension. If KC encroached on the PK as well as DC, the call shoudl be consistent. Even if it doesn't necessarily follow the letter of the law. I can't remember the last time I saw a PK when not one player stepped into the box. Or with a keeper moving forward at the time of the shot. For me - the best ref I have seen this year is the guy who did the KC v Fire game on Wednesday night. The guy with one short arm. He does well.