Portland v Colorado [R]

Absolutely absurd. The Portland coach wanted to talk about the referees so people wouldn't talk about how his team stunk it up on the field. His complaining about the referee during the game, to the point that he used offensive, insulting and abusive language to and about him, which he admitted that he did, will not make the referee any faster. Maybe his players will get "motivated" by his screaming at them (ask Kenny Cooper), but the coaches don't get to "coach" the referees. He was all over the referee in the previous game as well. This act will get real old in about two or three months. 'All the referees are horrible.' So what human being is able to perform to his level of expectations? It's not like there is some other group of referees out there with experience doing professional games that can just step in and replace guys he doesn't like.

USSF Code of Ethics for Referees "(10) I will not make statements about any games except to clarify an interpretation of the Laws of the Game." Referees are not going to get called in front of the reporter(s) to justify their decisions. This "issue" is just a smoke screen for an expansion club's poor performance.

 

I have to say that I've been noticing referees being a bit lazy in several matches I've attended. The two biggest culprits I saw were Chapin and, disappointingly Gonzalez this past week. I've also seen Anno twice on TV and he seems to struggle to keep up as well.

In the cases I saw the referees were slow to react to situations and found themselves well out of position when teams countered or switched the point of attack. This isn't meant to validate John Spencer, but to point out the merit in Bob Evans' post.

 

Didn't Anno fail a fitness test a couple years ago?

Another interesting article: http://www.oregonlive.com/sports/or...f/2011/06/canzano_at_jeld-wen_field_a_st.html

 

The goal in this game is interesting. Amarikwa was in an offside position, tries to get to the ball, fails, falls somewhat on top of the GK, then has the ball played off his back by a Timbers player before an onside Moor puts it in the net. Since Amarikwa didn't get the ball, and the ball didn't touch him until after it was played by a Timber, should offside have been called? Seems like getting tangled with the GK would be interfering with the play, but since that was after the ball came past him and he never actually touched the ball...

 

I agree with all of the above, but would add that I wouldn't mind the ref or a spokesperson (or even via a statement) explaining the call - not to be confused with justifying the call. The NFL does this to great effect. While it wouldn't quiet those who wish to be idiotic in their commentary, it provides a voice where right now there is nothing.

I'm not too shy about explaining a call in my matches (provided it's kept civil and at a stoppage), my thought process is if I can't explain the call, I shouldn't have made the call in the first place.

 

There is a process in place today in the MLS where a pool reporter can submit questions to the referee crew after the game. It rarely happens, but the officials do answer some questions.

 

For whatever reason I did not know that...good to know.

Now, will someone (Garber, anyone) please get that chucklehead Portland coach in a room and teach him "how the world works"?

 

some of the guys in MLS have proved their lack of match fitness over and over, yet somehow they keep getting assignments. And Okulaja has been doing it for years, and did fail a fitness test a year or two ago and was kept out of MLS for quite a while (as was Kennedy). Spencer's point about making calls from 50 yards away and sauntering around the pitch is a valid one. Now, how he chooses to make that point may not be the best way to do it.

 

Mr. Alex (I'm NOT calling him Sir) had similar bad luck
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/oct/10/sir-alex-ferguson-apologies-alan-wiley

Most coaches are not idiots. They are partisan, which means they cannot be given a vote. But what they say is true, often enough.

 

http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/artic...ssioner-suspends-fines-portland-coach-spencer

Spencer has been fined and suspended.

 

The comments about officiating at the bottom of the article from moronic fans that know nothing are quite entertaining.

 

I read them for awhile and I can understand the frustration in some cases. However many just do not frame their arguments correctly and are just ignorant on the whole and maybe should try to educate themselves before commenting. This is the internet however, people don't tend to operate in that way.

 

Even if he did, he certainly passed it this year, so what does this have to do with anything?

 

but does passing the fitness test tell you much. Apparently Okulaja passed the fitness test this year too and he can't keep up either.

 

Well, the mid-season fitness test is coming up soon, we'll see how that goes.

I doubt this is the case for Abby, but sometimes travel and pre-match nutrition can have strange effects on a persons fitness level during a game and cause them to under perform.

 

I just realized that Okalaja was the referee in this match. Spencer can be a tosser, but I think he has a point and we need to be able to admit that. Despite passing the fitness test, I've watched a lot of lazy referees the last two years and the league deserves much better than that.