Match Fit USA: referees

Showing posts with label referees. Show all posts

AmSoc 81: Can You Believe It?

Monday, July 11, 2011 | View Comments

- Jason Davis

Last week got away from me, and I completely forgot to post show 80. If you missed it, here's the link to the show's blog page.

But here's show 81. Jared and I convened immediately following the US Women's National Team's amazing win over Brazil in the quaterfinals of the Women's World Cup. We couldn't possibly bury the lead, so we fired out of the blocks talking about the game and the USWNT with Joan Stewart of Cross-Conference. We talk about the match itself as well as the issues facing the US in the women's game, before resolving just to revel in the victory. I don't exaggerate when I say it was one of the most enthralling sporting events I've ever watched.

Segment two begins with some talk about the notion that Mexico's young talent somehow puts pressure on the US - like we're directly affected by Mexico having talent at the U-17 level. Jared and I go back and forth, and while I agree Mexico is wining the battle at the moment, I don't see how that implies the US has to "respond." We should always trying to get better, regardless of what our rival is doing. Listen as I make an analogy about spinning wheels...

We also wonder why US Soccer would schedule a USA-Mexico friendly so soon after the deflating loss in the Gold Cup final.

Jared rolls into a talk about the value of the MLS All-Star Game. There's only so much the league gets out of the event, and it might not work anymore. There's a Catch-22 in there, with MLS needed to bring attention (and cash) to the league while maintaining a sense of competitive legitimacy. The All-Star Game rides the line.

Refereeing in the league continues to be a problem, and while it's dead-horse territory, recent matches bring it back as a topic for discussion. Should MLS be looking to take over the refereeing situation? Jared wonders if letting USSF handle it gives MLS a measure of deniability. That doesn't fly for me.

We close segment two with an email. There's pro/rel stuff in there, but it's really about snobbery and whether Americans who ignore MLS are right to. Listen for our answer, though I'm sure you can guess.

Finally, we take a stab at a couple players who might surprisingly show up in the 2014 World Cup team despite being relative unknowns right now, on the suggestion of a listener at the Facebook page.

As always, thanks for listening. Make sure you like and comment at the Facebook page and hit us up on Twitter via the AmSoc account and the CSRN network account.

Rating and comments in iTunes are always greatly, greatly appreciated. It just takes a few minutes and will help us climb the charts or something.

Visit the show website for other links of interest.

AmSoc, MLS, podcast, referees, USMNT, USWNT |

Formula XI: Disciplined Evaluations

Monday, April 18, 2011 | View Comments

- Jason Kuenle

Like blossoming red and yellow tulips, one of the surest signs of spring is the annual MLS referee discussion. Here was the 2009 version, here was the 2010 version. And again we find ourselves in the same place once again as we enter an MLS season. As part of the discussion from last year’s discussion, I did research on the discipline records in other leagues. However, things came up and I never got to do the analysis. With the same issues arising again, I thought it time to blow the dust of those spreadsheets, update them with some new data, and give the analysis a go.

VIDEO: The Referee

Wednesday, October 20, 2010 | View Comments

Martin Hansson was the referee on that fateful night in Paris when Thierry Henry's handball saved the French and sparked an international incident. This documentary chronicles Hansson's quest to realize his dream of refereeing in the World Cup and the non-decision that derailed it.

And Then Suarez Shrugged

Tuesday, July 06, 2010 | View Comments

July 02, 2010 - South Africa - Football - Uruguay v Ghana FIFA World Cup Quarter Final - South Africa 2010 - Soccer City Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa - 2/7/10..Uruguay's Luis Suarez (C) is shown a red card by referee Olegario Benquerenca after he handled the ball on the goal line in the last minute of extra time.

Luis Suarez, as both hero and villain, has been examined, reexamined, beaten, kneaded, and boiled down since Friday's shocking turn of events. Suarez broke the first commandment of the game, did so for cynical competitive reasons, and failed to live up to the strangest belief fans hold, that players should be gentlemen. The punishment is meant to be the deterrent; how then do we reconcile fair play with the actions of a player for whom the punishment is an acceptable trade for keeping out a goal illegally?

We can take an accidental touch of the ball with the hand, but we gag at the sight of a player intentionally doing so. Even dangerous leg-breaking tackles cause less righteous squawking. Thierry Henry is nodding knowingly.

The moment that Suarez chose to swat at the ball matters; done in the crucial dying moments of extra time, his apparent willingness to take red card medicine kept Uruguay in the game. After Asamoah Gyan slammed the resulting penalty kick off the crossbar, the "heroic" nature of Suarez's act crystallized. When Uruguay followed through in the shootout, the world exploded in alternating waves of shock and awe.

I'm not here to argue whether Suarez was "right" to break the most sacrosanct rule in the game, or to pontificate on possible rule changes. "Hero or cheat?" doesn't need another thousand word answer. What I'm concerned with at this moment is why Suarez shrugged.

Admittedly, I'm looking for something new to this story. The aftermath of Suarez's crime intrigues me.

There's little doubt of Suarez's intent in handling the ball. He meant to do it. It may have been split-second instinct, premeditated only in the blink of an eye, but he undeniably consciously chose to lift his arms and bat the ball away. It was an instinctual act of desperation. The moment his hands made contact, he must have realized the implications of his choice; he'd be sent off, gloriously or ingloriously depending on one's perspective, guaranteed to miss at least one match should his team survive. Like the murderer convicted on a mountain of physical evidence, there was no justifiable way for Suarez to proclaim his innocence. And yet there he was, at the moment the sentence came down, shrugging and pointing to himself as if he had been wronged.

The shrug doesn't appear to be one of resignation. Suarez didn't cheekily smile, as if to say "You got me," or lift his shoulders in an "What could I do?" admission of guilt. His shrug was one of mock shock and feigned surprise. The hubris of it would be astonishing had we not already been conditioned to simply accept it as part of the game.

The degree of his protest barely matters when the certainty of his guilt is considered. The gesture was slight and fleeting and he did not challenge the referee; still, there's that small moment, one of pure gall no matter its brevity, in which he acts the victim.

Perhaps this is a cultural affectation. Not of Latin football, but of all football. Players routinely act in just the way Suarez did, perhaps with more vigor, no matter the veracity of the card they're given. This is the modern dance, its composition assumed and the steps numbingly rote. The referee exhibits the indictment and levels the punishment, the player proclaims his innocence through body language, the spoken word, or both. We hardly notice anymore.

We might have been more shocked had Suarez not shrugged and pointed. It might have been noteworthy if he had given up the dance and left the field without so much as a nod. Had he raised his hand in admission of his transgression, shameless in the cold reality that he simply had to do it, that act might have been more shocking than the handball itself.

Suarez will be judged by history, particularly if Uruguay manage to make an unlikely Final, on the decision he made to willfully break the game's most basic of rule. No one will care that he shrugged. There's even room to imagine that he truly wasn't sure who was being shown the card, or that his gesture was one of contrition. If you imagine him noble Suarez, the man willing to make the ultimate soccer sacrifice to give his nation a chance to continue their World Cup run, then perhaps you see it this way. But even as I see nothing morally wrong with the handball, and an unwilling to skewer the man for his cynical act, I find something distasteful in the way he took his punishment.

He did it. He knew he did it. Why not smile ruefully, or not at all, and leave the field as he knew he would be required to do?

There's cynicism in Suarez's handball, but there may be more in his simple shrug.

Perhaps I expect too much, just like all of those people sanctimoniously declaring Suarez the ultimate cheat and a moral deficient for intentionally handling the ball.

handball, Luis Suarez, referees, World Cup |

Hardest Done By

Friday, June 18, 2010 | View Comments

Slovenia's Bojan Jokic fights for the ball with Jozy Altidore (R) of the US during a 2010 World Cup Group C soccer match at Ellis Park stadium in Johannesburg June 18, 2010. REUTERS/Brian Snyder (SOUTH AFRICA - Tags: SPORT SOCCER WORLD CUP)

My guts are frothing, having become the localized host for my indescribable rage. I reject, fully, the notion that the game "evens out" or that "one call does not define ninety minutes." In the World Cup, in this moment, with so much on the line and the sheer epicness of the comeback teetering over the edge of amazing, it simply does.

If the United States had played up to their capabilities in the first half, there might be no need to lambaste a Malian with every breath I can muster (breathing is difficult and a touch erratic at the moment). Even now, typing, a stream of expletives is firing from my lungs in the direction of Koman Coulibaly as if he himself houses a cell of conscienceless terrorists. YOU FUCKING INCOMPETENT BASTARD. Bradley got things wrong, as so many of us did (Torres? Nice player, but did not seem ready), and the team fell asleep twice in one of the most disappointing first halves they've played in a long time. And yes, I'm aware that the recency effect is in play, and I don't care; everyone, to a man, knew what this game meant and how difficult it would be. To have a two goal hole mawing at halftime was beyond reprehensible.

And then the second half. Donovan grabbing the game by the scrotum and yanking momentum his, and the Americans' way. The coaster, returning to the crest of the hill from a valley of despair, clicking along, seeming to arrest when I most needed it to climb. It was much too slow for my liking, inch by inch, ball back to Howard then out, while the clock spun faster and faster like a display in the worst time machine ever built, the U.S. banging their heads into walls time after time as if they enjoyed it. Please sir, may I have another ball to nowhere over the top. GOOCH! WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?

Quit though, there was none. Stretched, the defense desperately held on while the attack rolled stutter-stop towards the Slovenia goal. A close miss here. A poor touch there...it all built up to the point that my fragile psyche was sure there wasn't another goal in it, that the Yanks would crumble pathetically to the ground, that the World Cup was over and I would step back from the thronged mass of invested fans standing on the ropes thousands of miles away to take up my role as disenchanted observer in the back of the mob. How 'bout those Germans, eh?

GOAL. What? Where? How? BRADLEY! MICHAEL FUCKING BRADLEY the man who so often arrives at the right time gets on the end of something Altidore did (did he do anything else? I can't remember) and pulls us level and the team is going bonkers and I'm jumping up and down and my two-year son is sure I'm insane. You'd be jealous of my vertical.

That.

For the moment, for what it was, it was unbelievable. From no hope to sure we could win it in a mere second, all because Bradley knows how to slide and hit a ball at the same time. Surely he falls asleep dreaming of hitting bounders in from his ass.

But get at it now, don't stop, it's all there, we have this. Slovenia is reeling now and good teams press their advantage. Choke back the adrenalin, but don't waste it - put it right back into your game, channeled towards that rectangular opening beckoning to eat another Jabulani. The enemy's gate is down.

Free kick. From where Donovan likes it. If he gets it over the wall, this is tailor-made for his right foot. Back post, like we practiced, just in front of the keeper. Make it count, because there may not be many more, and with everyone pushed up, our goal-poaching sharks smelling blood in the water, the time to strike is now. Was I sure of it? Of course not. But I let myself believe for a moment that it was there.

You know the rest, and I'm too spent to relive it. That happened. Koman Coulibaly happened. Stolen, no balance, no fairness. Poor from the start was the man from Mali, who somehow conceived to give an American a yellow card when the ball STRUCK HIM IN THE FACE. Don't tell me Dempsey should have been sent off and so it's karma. Don't tell me eight years ago or six years ago or blubberty five years ago a call went for the Americans and this makes up for it. Bullshit. Utter. Bullshit.

I leave you now with something from the maginificent Brian Phillips of Run of Play fame. Brian scrapped a post he was working on for Dirty Tackle's World Cup coverage and was kind enough to send it along when I asked to see it. He's a better writer than me, this better captures everything we're feeling, and I thank him for letting me post it here.

***
Incompetent Lunatic Pours Gasoline on Justice, Lights Match

Then, watching justice burn, he scrunches up his brow, puts his whistle to his lips, and calls a foul on justice. You know. For obstructing the fire.

Obviously, minutes after the match, tempers are high, and we should all probably take a minute to calm down before we say anything we might regret. Nevertheless, with all caution and restraint, I think it's safe to say that THIS IS THE WORST THING THAT HAS EVER HAPPENED AND GIANT SHEETS OF FIRE RAINING DOWN FROM THE SKY ON THE HEAD OF KOMAN COULIBALY COULD NOT PUT TO RIGHTS THE STAIN HE HAS INFLICTED ON THE FABRIC OF ALL THAT IS GOOD IN THE UNIVERSE AND THOUSAND-MILE-HIGH BOLTS OF LIGHTNING SMASHING THE ENTIRE CITY OF ZURICH TO THE GROUND CANNOT MAKE UP FOR THE CRIME FIFA HAS COMMITTED IN ASSIGNING HIM TO THE WORLD CUP AND IF YOU ARE BEING SWALLOWED BY A FANGED BEAST RISING UP FROM THE BOWELS OF THE SEA THEN YOU HAD BETTER BE CAREFUL NOT TO BE SPEARED BY HIS FANGS OR THIS REFEREE WILL SAY YOU FOULED HIM AND DISALLOW YOUR GOAL AND...

Well, you get the idea. That's not going too far, right?

Vent. Do it.

horseshit, referees, USA, USMNT, World Cup |

On the USA v. England Referee

Monday, June 07, 2010 | View Comments

How kind of FIFA to give U.S. National Team fans a built-in excuse should things go poorly against the mighty English on June 12th. The match referee, a Brazilian, comes with a rather sketchy recent background that might not inspire much confidence in his ability to maintain control and balance in what should be a rather physical contest.

Carlos Simon, do you know what you're in for?

I worry about this. I worry American fans will find a way to put a loss (should it happen) squarely on the shoulders of the referee, rather than properly direct blame wherever it actually belongs. I worry that Simon will screw it up, but that his decisions obscure the real reasons things went wrong (again, should that happen).

I worry that the Americans will fall back into overly-rash habits, habits I'm fairly confident are much less of a factor now than in the past. Even though Michael Bradley is no longer the card machine he once was (something I've taken pains to point out), there's that nagging thought in the back of my mind that something bad will happen. Will it be a truly egregious challenge that deserves a sending off, be it a straight red or a second bookable offense? Or will Simon come into the match with preconceived notions of the American's style and punish them unfairly?

Regardless, and I'm certain Bob Bradley is even now drilling his squad on this issue, the Yanks must be aware of themselves. It's a delicate balance, playing strong and hard while being sure not to give Simon reason to reach into his pocket. Cards will likely happen. Making sure those cards aren't red, or the second for the same player, is crucial.

That last sentence is the most obvious thing I've ever written at this blog.

Not that it will be only the Americans that must be careful. England's players will be more familiar to Simon, so perhaps they'll get more benefit of the doubt; but the Americans have players who speaks Simon's language, a small advantage that is worth mention.

This is entirely too many words for a referee. I'm cross my fingers that the game isn't decided by a refereeing decision, be it a sending off or a controversial penalty, in either direction. Let's play this straight-up, eleven on eleven, and let the chips fall where they may. I still like the U.S. chances, and it seems bad fan karma to hope for a bad call. These things tend to come back around.

Excuse my nerves, my over-thinking, etc. It's Monday. There's still quite a ways to go before Saturday. I don't think I'm going to make it.

England, referees, USMNT, World Cup |

MLS Fans Can't Have it Both Ways on Officiating

Friday, March 26, 2010 | View Comments

MLS: Philadelphia Union vs. Seattle Sounders FC MAR 25

In the wake of his new club's loss in Seattle, Peter Nowak cried foul over the "diving" of the Sounders, identifying Freddie Ljungberg as the biggest culprit. The Union were rough, got burned because of it, and were forced to play a man down for more than half the match. Nowak's words come off as whining, even if there is an element of truth to his assessment that Ljungberg and certain other Sounders dive on occasion.

Because of the reputation of those Sounders, referee Ricardo Salazar was in a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" situation; call the game tightly and by the rules (as he did, for the most part), and he's castigated for handing out too many cards or unnecessarily influencing the game. Let more of the Union tactics go, and he'd be called to the carpet for allowing rough play, a characteristic of MLS bemoaned by many of the same fans who criticize the referees for "over officiating" or "losing control of the game".

Pick one, please. And yes, I realize that the plight of the referee is a difficult one, that it's not only MLS were they are harshly criticized no matter their what they do, and that much of the anger directed towards them is due to club loyalty. But there's a hypocrisy on that part of some fans that needs to be identified.

Do you want an open league where passing is actually possible, players aren't hacked down on a regular basis, and the game is more pleasing to the eye? Or do you want the physical, less skillful game that exists now where players too often make illegal challenges simply because the referees fail to penalize for it?

I'm not going to go to the wall for Ricardo Salazar, but I find little reason to criticize his performance last night. Nowak made excuses, something I can empathize with even as I wonder what kind of message it sends to his young team; but Major League Soccer needs an adjustment to the way the game is called, and whether or not Ljungberg and other Sounders dived does not mean that the Union were not guilty of card-able offenses.

Instead of lashing out at referees who may have had poor matches in the past, perhaps fans should applaud Salazar for calling the game as it needed to be and setting a tone for the season. The transition from a loosely-officiated league where overly-physical play is rewarded to one in which players are cautioned for fouls that were previously not called won't be pretty. While the players adjust, there will be ugly matches with an abundance of cards and the (perhaps more than occasional) sending off. If you want better soccer, you must be prepared to take a long view and deal with the repercussions of a fundamental change.

I don't know that the game Salazar called last night is indicative of a directive by MLS or US Soccer. I can't recall any announcements being made on the issue, though it's possible I missed it during the CBA mess. But if the season moves forward and Salazar and his colleagues call tighter matches that end with less than twenty-two players on the field, I hope fans (maybe just those not too blinded by club loyalty) can recognize the end result over time should be a better overall product. If you want to criticize, criticize those players who fail to recognize that there are things they just can't get away with anymore.

As difficult as it is to say, I have a small hope that 2010 sees the most cards in the history of the league because that will indicate to me that something is changing. It's time for Major League Soccer to become less about what players can get away with and more about who plays the best soccer.

Feel free to call me out if you think I've used too general a brush when it comes to fan assessment of the referees; but I know several people guilty of talking out of both sides of their mouths on the issue.

We'll have more evidence after tomorrow's matches to determine if something is changing, or if this will be the same old MLS. If it's ugly, in a way that sees cautions and dismissals in numbers, keep in mind what it might mean.

MLS, Philadelphia Union, referees, Seattle Sounders |

Match Fit USA Soccer Show Episode 37

Sunday, November 08, 2009 | View Comments

It's the last Match Fit USA Soccer Show before The American Soccer Show debuts next week. Things are tense, and Jason and Zach argue about referees, discuss potential call-ups for the USMNT, talk some USL news, and close out with a heated debate about MLS and relocating clubs. Make sure you go to americansoccershow.com to subscribe to the new iTunes feed!

The Match Fit USA Soccer Show, on the Champions Soccer Radio Network.

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MLS, playoffs, referees, relocation, TOA, USL, USMNT |

Deep Cuts: Um...Friday

Friday, November 06, 2009 | View Comments

If you have any reasonable level of motivation on Friday, you're a better person than I. I spent about half the time I usually do trying to find interesting links for today's edition of whatever-the-hell-this-is-called-now, but still managed to scrounge up a few.

First, Penn State soccer players are excited about the Philadelphia Union. Maybe. Again, we have an example of a college soccer player admitting he doesn't pay much attention to MLS; that bugs me, a lot, but at least he's willing to give it a shot thanks to the Union starting up in 2010.

MLS has a female official, and she's a former speed-skating Canadian. Seems weird, especially since I wasn't aware that MLS had a female official, but maybe that just proves the point that it doesn't matter. Besides, if she works for MLS, she has to be terrible.

An "on this day in history" note: On November 6, 1869, Rutgers and Princeton played the first ever intercollegiate football game in the United States. The sport they were playing was probably a bit soccer and a bit rugby, since they didn't yet seem to know what exactly the rules were back then. The English FA had only codified the first set of established laws of the game (which were still not universally accepted) in 1863, and the Yanks, as usual, did their own thing. The game between Rutgers and Princeton surely looked more like soccer than it did American football, but it doesn't really matter; intercollegiate "football" turned more towards rugby and then diverged further with the rules largly drawn up by Walter Camp in the late 19th century. It's impossible to know where the US would be as a soccer nation if the rules adopted were those of association football instead, but I'm pretty sure we wouldn't be worried about soccer "catching on".

Deep Cuts, also known as Shallow Scratches, appears as daily as is possible and brings together stories relating to American Soccer from around the web. If you have a link for Shallow Scratches/Deep Cuts, feel free to email it to matchfitusa@gmail.com.

college soccer, MLS, Philadelphia Union, referees, rules |

Deep Cuts: It's Not Just a Seat, It's an Investment

Monday, September 28, 2009 | View Comments

A novel "mortgage" system, one in which fans can buy their own piece of stadium real estate (their seats) over the course of a protracted term, just as they would a condominium, could change the way professional sports teams approach stadium financing. The program allows purchasers to avoid pesky ticket price raises by locking in their annual payments, provides needed financing for stadium projects, and guarantees the buyer ownership of his or her seat no matter the stadium or if the team relocated.

A Wall Street Journal (not that deep, I know, but this is incredibly interesting) piece outlines the concept; while it is only currently being utilized by American universities hoping to expand their college football stadiums, the story suggests that Tottenham Hotspur, a club desperately looking for financing options as they look to build a replacement for White Hart Lane, might be the first professional team to enact it.

The largest problem with selling seats in this manner for professional teams looking to finance building projects is sales; while the long term investment for passionate fans might make sense, it could be difficult to sell some or most of the most expensive seats. For that reason, the concept would be a pipe dream for American soccer clubs looking for alternative financing sources to build a stadium. The game, and the leagues involved, simply don't have the profile and demand for tickets that could make the "seats as condos" idea work.

Vancouver Whitecaps President Bob Lenarduzzi spoke during a fund-raiser for the University of Victoria yesterday, and in a preview of his speech from the Times-Colonist he touched on several interesting topics. Among them was the belief that college soccer in Canada has a role to play in the development of professional players, the commitment of the Whitecaps to starting a new USL-1 club in Victoria once the club moves to MLS, and the frustration over the sticky stadium situation that the club currently faces. Lenarduzzi's statements on the stadium don't sound too good, and he put the lack of movement squarely on the shoulders of the local government.

FIFA's top medical man wants referees and coaches to step up efforts to punish violent play, and says career-ending injuries have been on the rise over the past two years. With the stakes such as they are, Michel D'Hooghe believes coaches may be complicit in some of the horrific tackles that take place on the pitch. D'Hooghe is calling for a strict application of the rules, which would mean a spike in red cards given to players who tackle from behind or use their elbows illegally. The rules are the rules, and should be applied as their written, though the practical matter is that referees are hesitant to hand out ejection, especially early in matches. If D'Hooghe did get his way, the global soccer community would be forced to go through a period of painful adjustment (not to mention controversy and anger), but would certainly come out better for it on the other side.

The A-League, the Australian analog for Major League Soccer with its salary cap, Marquee Player rule and franchise system, is pulling back on plans to expand. Economic factors have delayed a Sydney ownership group's hopes to start a second club in that city, and the league will remain at ten teams for at least one more season. The A-League fascinates me because of its similarities to MLS, though the differences between the two leagues and the two countries in question are significant. Still, if MLS is able to continue expanding through the worst economy in recent memory while other leagues are holding, they must be doing something right. Now if MLS would just follow the Aussies' lead and completely exempt DP player salaries from the cap...

Deep Cuts appears daily and is an attempt to bring you soccer links from off the beaten path or of particular interest. If you come across something you think would make a good Deep Cut, please send it along to matchfitusa@gmail.com.

A-League, college soccer, Expansion, MLS, referees, stadiums |

Match Fit USA Soccer Show Episode 28

Sunday, September 06, 2009 | View Comments

This week on Match Fit USA, Jason and Zach break down USA-El Salvador, discuss officiating, review the current state of the Hexagonal and the American chances of qualification, and close out talking about the US Open Cup final.

Match Fit USA Soccer Show, part of the Champions Soccer Radio Network.

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DC United, podcast, referees, Seattle Sounders, USMNT, USOC |

USSF Suspends Three Referees

Wednesday, September 02, 2009 | View Comments

Courtesy of Stephen Goff of Soccer Insider comes word that the US Soccer Federation has suspended three referees for the remainder of the 2009 MLS season.

Former Referee of the Year Jair Murrufo, he of the two match suspension early in the year when he accepted a Cuauhtemoc Blanco jersey after officiating a Chicago Fire-Columbus Crew match, has been sidelined for "poor performances" over the course of the season.

Michael Kennedy and Abby Okulaja have also been removed from action, though their suspensions have been put down to failed fitness tests rather than bad refereeing.

Maruffo's suspension is the most interesting of the bunch for obvious reasons, as it's finally some acknoledgment by US Soccer that the referees here aren't living up to standards. Whether we'll see any actual improvement in the area is more down to continuing efforts to train referees properly, but Murrufo's suspension indicates that the problem is recognized and that the powers that be are not going to sit on their hands.

While the reasoning is different, the removal of Kennedy and Okulaja, neither of whom have officiated a game this month, could be "addition by subtraction". Fans may think that those two should have been suspended for the same reasons that Marrufo was removed, but the details matter less because the effect is the same.

What do you make of the suspensions? Do you believe that USSF is actively working to fix the refereeing issues we all seem to believe exists?

MLS, referees, USSF |

Beckham Ejected, People Take Note

Monday, August 17, 2009 | View Comments

David Beckham has added MLS refereeing to his long list of frustrations after receiving a straight red for a studs up tackle on Peter Vegenas in the Galaxy's 0-2 loss to Seattle on Saturday night.

"Pete's one of my best friends. It was a hard tackle but by no means a red card. But that's the inconsistency we have got with some of the officials in the league. I've never gone into a tackle wanting to hurt someone but the referee saw it differently."

Beckham's challenge merited a red card by the letter of the law, and while MLS officiating often leaves much to be desired, any complaint over the English star's objection seems ridiculous.

Beckham's manager, Bruce Arena, agreed.

"When you throw yourself into that kind of tackle there's a chance you're going to get sent off. He's been in enough rodeos to know that."

While interesting only to fans of MLS and ESPN suits who now have a nationally televised game on Wednesday night involving the Galaxy that won't feature Beckham on this side of the pond, the midfielder's red is a splashy headline back in his homeland.

The Sun never fails to entertain, and English tabloid's write up is worth a look.

Perhaps the oddest note on the night comes from Goal.com's Andrea Canales, as she goes into detail about boxer Vitali Klitschko's attendance of the match.

If you haven't seen the tackle, take a look and render your verdict. Worthy of a straight red?

Beckham, MLS, referees |

Ching Fined For Twitter Comments

Thursday, July 16, 2009 | View Comments

MLS has fined Houston forward Brian Ching $500 for his criticism of the referees through Twitter. Ching took exception to the controversial goal given to Seattle in last week's Sounders-Dynamo match, and spoke out against the referees via the social network.

Quite the sign of the times. I was somewhat shocked to see Ching be so public with his displeasure when it came across my feed, and I'm not quite sure he realized the ramifications.

Ching's offending tweet:

"Ref in seattle just cheated the dynamo. What a joke. Not even close. Ref is a cheat"

Ching apologized for his comment, again via twitter, the next day.

"Look i made a rash comment yesterday. I dont know who the ref was. I didnt understand how someone could all a goal when it wasnt 100% clear"

"I apologize for the comment which i made in the heat of the moment. Everyone tries their best and mistakes happen."

It looks like someone (probably with Houston's front office) let Ching know that his comments weren't appropriate and that the league wouldn't be too keen on them.

It's hard to argue with Ching's feelings if you saw the match (or just the offending goal), though MLS is forced to fine him; criticisms of the refs by players is a sticky proposition, and no matter the form they come in, shouldn't be encouraged by inaction.

What do you think? Is the fine fair?

Brian Ching, MLS, referees, Twitter |

MLS: A Question of Style and Balance

Tuesday, June 09, 2009 | View Comments

The always excellent L.E. Eisenmenger of the Boston Pro Soccer Examiner has a nice little interview with Costa Rican international and Revolution defender Garbriel Badilla up at her blog. Included in Badilla's comments is a common refrain from Latin American players; that the style of play in MLS is too physical, and that the technical aspects of the game (and the players here that are adept at it) suffer as a consequence.

Specifically, Badilla talks about the officiating here; it's his contention that the referees let entirely too much go, and the results are a less aesthetic brand of soccer.

Although this is nothing new, it's got me thinking more about the issue than I really have before. While the style of play that permeates MLS is very "American" (i.e., physical and athletic) in character, the league continues to go to Central and South America for talent, and the two clearly don't mesh. A rash of early-season cards might just be an aberration, or it could actually represent a sea change in the way the game will be officiated here. Perhaps the powers that be recognize that MLS needs to more to a more open and free flowing style.

Or not. Either way, the question is there, and it's not a simple one to answer. Does it benefit MLS to become more stylish and technical, which would hurt American players in the short term, because of the influx of Latin American talent (or simply because it's a more pleasing-to-the-eye product)? That type of transformation could lead to a period of foreign dominance in the league, with few Americans able to reach high-levels of play simply because their strengths would no longer come to bear as much as before.

On the other hand, it would clearly benefit the American player on the whole in the long term. A more technical league to grow up in would help raise the base level of skill across the board (or at least, that's the theory), benefiting players who already have strength and athleticism. As a bonus, those players who are not big enough or strong enough to be effective in the current MLS environment (think Freddy Adu) might then have a chance to play and develop.

I'm solidly on the side of that second thought. While I appreciate the abilities that make MLS players effective now, I lament the lack of creativity, flair, and out and out skill across the league. Few players possess the combination of abilities to be effective on both fronts; too often, we see skilled Latin American players come to MLS only to be rendered impotent by the prevailing style of play.

A football observer I respect has called MLS "English" in style. That may be true, or it may not, and I have no feelings either way on the use of the term. But English players aren't ever going to come to MLS in large numbers, while the number of Latin Americans should continue to grow. If this is the path that the league and its front offices have chooses (and we can debate if it's the right path on another occasion), doesn't it makes sense to adjust the officiating in a way that will create a league that matches that "futbol" influence?

Share your thoughts, I'd love to hear them.

Oh, and I'm writing this at work between tasks, so if it seems a little incomplete or not quite thought out enough, I apologize; I may need to explain myself a little more in the comments if you guys have thoughts on the matter.

MLS, referees, Style |

Hey Don! Fix the Officiating!

Friday, June 05, 2009 | View Comments

Perhaps you've seen this, perhaps you haven't: There's a Twitter campaign going on, and it's all about the referees. Initiated by the boys at It's Called Football, the campaign's aim is to let Don Garber know that the officiating situation in MLS cannot be allowed to stand.

So, if you are frustrated as so many out there are, join in the campaign by sending a tweet to @thesoccerdon letting him know that things need to change.

The easiest way to join in is to simply retweet a message sent by one of the participating bloggers; if you follow me on Twitter already, just retweet my message. If you don't follow me on Twitter yet, well, you should be. It's @matchfitusa, or you can click this link.

Do it.

Don Garber, MLS, referees, Twitter |

A Question About the Referee

Wednesday, April 15, 2009 | View Comments

Six red cards were handed out in MLS this past weekend, and the resulting firestorm (relatively speaking; I don't think it was a topic on Around the Horn) has me thinking...

The general and overwhelming consensus is that MLS referees are extremely poor; Toronto and Columbus supporters don't agree on much, but my guess is they would agree that officiating in the league leaves much to be desired. The same goes for fans all around the league, not to mention most of the media.

Referees make easy targets for all segments of the soccer community, and so I'm often slightly slower to condemn them than others might be. Too often our allegiances color our perception, and we're not as even-handed with our assessments as we should be.

Not that I'm saying I think MLS refs are good; quite the contrary. I just don't want to jump to conclusions as so many seem to do. Every league on the planet has inconsitency issues with their officiating, and it's easy to yell and scream about fallible men who will never be perfect.

Case in point: MLS referees are being taken to task over a weekend of "poor" officiating by some, while other see the step up in discipline as a sign that the refs are finally taking steps to rid the league of overly rough play.

Sure, there's a lot more of the former out there than the latter, but it's still out there (may provide links later; can't take the time to hunt them down right now). The question is, which is the truth?

Without going into specific detail on each card (although we can throw out Keller's, which was clearly deserved and not related to a foul or violent challenge), it's difficult for me to form an opinion; I wasn't able to see every match in question anyway.

What are you thoughts? Do you see this as just another week of bad MLS officiating, or is there something to be said for "cracking down"?

MLS, referees |