Articles, Soccer

Whitecaps Robbed of Two Points

Major League Soccer refereeing is infuriating. The well-officiated game in this league is notable for its rarity, and today’s Cascadia Cup clash between the Whitecaps and the Portland Timbers was not one of those rarities.

Camilo de Sanvezzo (second from right) gave the Whitecaps FC their first-ever lead against the Portland Timbers, but it was negated in the second half by a dubious penalty call. Photo by Jason Kurylo for Pucked in the Head.
Camilo de Sanvezzo (second from right) gave the Whitecaps FC their first-ever lead against the Portland Timbers, but it was negated in the second half by a dubious penalty call. Photo by Jason Kurylo for Pucked in the Head.

More after the break.

Vancouver held the lead twice in this game, courtesy of a fantastic Camilo free kick from about 20 yards, and a Gershon Koffie strike from a couple of yards further out. Both times, the leads were negated on handball calls of dubious legitimacy by referee Matthew Foerster. On the first, a laser of a shot connected with the left arm of Andy O’Brien. The arm was not in an unnatural position, and it looked as though O’Brien was attempting to move his arm out of the ball’s path by turning sideways. Nevertheless, the referee pointed immediately to the spot and Canadian international Will Johnson made no mistake. I think it was a soft call, but I freely acknowledge that were the teams reversed I would have been howling for a penalty. In fact, I was — in the first half, a nearly identical play saw Timbers defender Mamadou Danso have his hand struck by the ball in the Portland box, with no call. But yeah, que sera, sera.

Portland Timbers forward Jose Valencia makes a fabulous end zone catch in double coverage to score a touchdown — oh, wait. In soccer, you're not supposed to be able to do that. Photo by Jason Kurylo for Pucked in the Head.
Portland Timbers forward Jose Valencia makes a fabulous end zone catch in double coverage to score a touchdown — oh, wait. In soccer, you’re not supposed to be able to do that. Photo by Jason Kurylo for Pucked in the Head.

The second goal is the one that emphatically should not have counted. Minutes after a (pretty soft) red card to Danso reduced the Timbers to ten men, a ball was sailed high and long into the Whitecaps box for Jose Valencia. The ball dropped between defenders Brad Rusin and Andy O’Brien, who appeared to have Valencia neatly sandwiched. Valencia trapped the ball very briefly against his chest with his hand, the ball dropped to his feet, and he slid the equalizer past Brad Knighton. Rusin took to twitter after the game apologizing to the fans for not doing better. No such apology was forthcoming from the referees, who said only that they believed Valencia took the ball down with his chest. He didn’t. Above, you can see photographic evidence that he didn’t.

 

Referees are openly despised in most arenas around most leagues, but this crew received some especially lusty boos at the end of the Whitecaps - Timbers match. Yes, we at PITH suspect that linesman indeed always has his eyes closed like that. Photo by Jason Kurylo for Pucked in the Head.
Referees are openly despised in most arenas around most leagues — check www.refyousuck.com if you somehow need proof — but this crew received some especially lusty boos at the end of the Whitecaps – Timbers match. Yes, we at PITH suspect that linesman indeed always has his eyes closed like that. Photo by Jason Kurylo for Pucked in the Head.

This is where I repeat a thought I’ve expressed before: soccer could use a rugby-style replay official, and MLS would be the perfect league in which to test such a system. Referee development is a process akin to player development. Read: it’s not getting better any time soon. The officials in this league are the weak link in an otherwise damn good product. I’m sick of going to games wondering not who on my favourite team is going to shine but in which new and flamboyant way the ref is going to fuck up a decent game of soccer. I’m well aware that MLS can’t fix the officials overnight, but they need to find some other way to address a problem that’s actively hurting soccer in North America.

Game review: Whitecaps 2, Timbers 1, Referees 1. Bring on Montreal.