What is YOUR thought on the pk call - weak, good call, debatable. Not trying to stir controversy, just curious how you would have made the call. I can't make up my own mind, and I saw it several times, with Marcelo's commentary running too.
First Balboa is an idiot and was one when he played. Personally from what I saw not penalty, possibly a yellow for a dive. If it was a penalty there also should have been a card for the defender. The attacking player was BEHIND Curtin from the tv angle
I actually like Balboa on color (and I'm really liking the play by play of O'brien too, even if the "soccer snobs" don't like him because he hasn't done any soccer before). Anyways, as for the penalty, I thought it was a no call. I didn't think it was much of a dive (more like he let himself go after clear contact was made). However, I'm not sure the contact was even a foul or not, nevermind the fact that there was no way he was going to reach the ball before going out for a goal kick.
What do you mean he was never going to reach the ball. Why is that in your mind. If a player was in the box and the ball is not there, if the keeper kicked punched or grabbed the player its a penalty kick. So what has the ball got to do with it. A foul inside the box which deserves a direct kick is a penalty no matter where the ball is situtated.
It looked to me like the Columbus player was behind Curtain, played the ball too far away from himself, run into Curtain's hip and fell down. Definitely a no call. I am not sure I would caution for a dive, but I might have a little chat with the guy.
It enters my mind because it is relevant to the play. While I agree with you that in some cases it doesn't matter where the ball is (for example, if it is a late, hard tackle with the ball already going out of play or if it is a foul from behind or something like you suggested), you call the PK no matter what. However, this call was not one of those obvious cases and there is nothing wrong with looking at where the ball was and how the contact effected the play, especially if it is a charge of some sort, as I thought this play was. The referee may deem the foul trifling and having no impact on the play because the ball was going out of bounds in either case. Foul calls are not always black and white.
I think it was a good call. Curtin is a physical player that makes up for his lack of skill by whacking people. He was sending a message to the smaller forward and ran him down. The ref got the message and called the pk. I like it. MLS has got to crack down on players like Curtin. This is the way to do it. He had no reason the run the guy down. The ball was going for a goal kick. The referee's job is to provide a fair, safe, fun environment where players are allowed to show their skills. I like Balboa but he was part of the problem as a player and he shows it with his commentary.
I know that this isn't ref-related, but I really enjoy O'Brien's announcing skills as well. I think he's a very solid, professional announcer who seems to have a good feel for the game despite not having done soccer in the past. So much of soccer is rhythm, kind of like announcing a hockey game, and O'Brien has that rhythm. I'm looking forward to hearing him on World Cup telecasts.
Yeah he just needs to learn to make the calling of the goals more exciting. I think he is used to sports where scoring is not an event....unlike soccer. Ok sorry, back on topic!!!
I think Balboa is one of the worst color announcer's ever. He can single handedly incorrectly educate all of US Soccer's fan base on the laws of the game and the applications thereof. I also don't like his analysis of the tactics and player's performance, but that isn't as bad as his irroneous claims about referee's decisions.
You think he is that much worse then Waldo?? From the game's I've seen, at least he usually gives the refs the benefit of the doubt. However, on this play even I was going "I can't believe he made that call" from my couch.
To a lot of soccer people, including some referees, it matters - especially in the penalty area - whether the player had a chanc to play or maintain possession of the ball when deciding whether to call a foul. I've worked with one MLS referee whose phliosphy on PKs is he does not award it unless there is an obvious attacking/goal-scoring opportunity. I don't take it to that extreme, but I see where he is coming from. We had discussed his PK instructions before a PDL match a couple years ago. In that match, one GK challenged an attacker who was steaming onto a ball that was headed for the end line, near the edge of the PA. Attacker got to the ball first, and GK completely cleaned him out. Obvious significant contact, easy foul call. It was right in front of me. I kept my flag down. The ref saw it all. He called nothing. After the match, I asked him if he was glad I kept my flag down and he said, 'yes.' I asked what he'd have done if I had wiggled my flag on this one. He said he'd have given the PK. His reasoning why no call on this one? Attacker not in a dangerous position. Questionable as to whether he was going to maintain ball possession (ball going nearly going out of bounds).
Balboa, for all the years he played, doesn't know the LOTG. I think that was a foul because he threw his arm out (pushing foul) and it was not a fair shoulder charge. I think Curtain does that 2-3 times at least most games and it doesn't get called. I think he does it as part of the gratuitous physicality of MLS and the desire to put attackers on the ground just because he can get away with it most of the time and it'll help wear them out by the end of the game. I think it's a foul and should be a penalty because gratuitous physicality in MLS is a pet peeve of mine. I despise the standard of what's a foul and what isn't changing in the 18-yd box. I think it's not a PK though by what is standardly called in MLS. It's been a strange year as penalty calls to so far in MLS. Several that wer clear penalties were ignored. The two that have been called, quite questionable. Josh Wolff took a dive and this one was soft for typical MLS.
After seeing the replays, it was a call I thought, that's a PK about 20% of the time, no call about 80% of the time. If the exact same play had happened at midfield, would it be a foul? At midfield, that would be a foul probably 80% of the time. In the box, the standards are different, but my opinion (this is as a fan) is that it's TOO different.
I don't agree with this. At least from what I saw on the play the defender was running slowly and straight. The attacker runs into the side defender who did not move to block the attacker. The, the attacker collides with the defender who had his arms at his side. Finally, the attacker who had all of the momentum some how "bounces" off the defenders body and falls to the ground, very easily. I don't feel as though the defender really did anything to foul the attacker. I didn't have the referee's angle so I can't say for sure if I wouldn't have called this penalty, but from the video -- I don't think I would have called this in the box OR at the halfway line.
i believe it was a no call, all bias aside . in no way did Curtin do anything to foul. he was just running when the Columbus player came in, bounced off, and took a dive. you can't just penalize Curtin for being big. it should have been a no call, and right after the ball crossed the line for a goal kick, i would have given a yellow to the player for diving.