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MLSNet.comMLS Officiating Again Called Into Question
After Saturday night's 5-2 Galaxy blowout of DC United both DC United's coach, Tom Sohen and defender Marc Burch made comments critical of officiating which may come under review at MLS HQ this morning.
With regards to Burch receiving a red card for a 62nd minute foul on David Beckham in which Beckham said to the referee "That's not a red!", Sohen and Burch had this to say...Courtesy of Behind The Badge.com
Sohen-"We all saw it, it was an absolute travesty. Especially when we were fighting to come back and we actually had a good part of the game. Lots of times they wouldn't call it because of who it was. Everyone looked at that and said it wasn't a red card. What are you going to do?"
Burch-"It's not a red card. He's straight up and he went told the ref that. It's a foul. I don't know how he ended up hitting the sign boards, because I didn't even run into him. I swung for the ball and hit the back of his leg. It comes with bringing him to the league, you know."
What do you think? Was it a red or not?
Burch took a swing that had absolutely no chance of getting the ball, as it was a yard or two over the touch line already. Having said that, the poor challenge only merited a yellow, not red. However, the intent was there.
Attacking a player when the ball is out of bounds, putting your foot in there to hold back a defender in a way that could only result in tripping him should be red card. It was a red card. Had it happened on the field maybe not... but that ball was WAY out of bounds, therefor no play was being made on the ball so it was a hit on the player. Red Card. In Europe it would probably get an extra suspension since it wasn't in the play of the game.
Attacking a player when the ball is out of bounds, putting your foot in there to hold back a defender in a way that could only result in tripping him should be red card. It was a red card. Had it happened on the field maybe not... but that ball was WAY out of bounds, therefor no play was being made on the ball so it was a hit on the player. Red Card. In Europe it would probably get an extra suspension since it wasn't in the play of the game.
Of course it wasn't a red... But who cares? It was a very clumsy and ill advised foul at the very least and warranted a yellow. And bad calls happen all the time. In the scheme of things, there are worse things than hacks like Burch getting an unjustified red card occasionally.
class act that brit is, with any other player in this leaugue the amount of sportsmanship would not of been there
It was a bit of a class to argue with a referee against a bad call. Especially as Beckham risked a second yellow for dissent in order to do so. Classier than for Burch -- who got the call for shoving from behind when the ball was well out of bounds (not simply a late leg out) -- to give Beckham the back handed complement of noting his argument against the call and then saying that's what comes of bringing him into the league.
What comes of bringing him into the league is the number of viewers who saw Burch off, and the additional money accumulating in the pool that pays his salary. I would add that even though Beckham has been in poor form for the Galaxy for many weeks, and that his temper has too often gone over the line, there are still players and fans that appreciate what he has to offer on the pitch and hope to see him return to form.
LEARN TO SPELL JERKASSES!!! IT'S "SOEHN" NOT "SOHEN"!!!
intent was not there. are all of you youth league refs? burch was looking at the ball from the other side of him. he took a swipe because it looked like becks was going to heel it. simply trying to go for the ball. refs are overprotective of beckham. he is probably tired of it. if i were becks i'd feel embarrassed that i am being way too pampered by the league i'm desperatley trying to improve. youd think in a country that embraces the NFL you could actually play tough football.
Bad calls do happen all the time, but they always seem to be in beckhams favor. Anyone who denies that is completely blind to reality
It obviously should have been yellow, not red. They probably just want to protect Beckham, cause he's a moneymaker.
I know where that ref can stick that red card
Not a red
thats a yellow not a red. brutal officiating. but hey its the MLS.
Being a Galaxy season ticket holder and supporter from the inception of MLS, and having my seats right in the front row right where this "red" took place - I would have to agree with DC United - it clearly was not a red card - I have seen worse ankle cracking tackles that only received yellow cards in this league. It is the league being on the side of Beckham, unfortunately. I clearly got up and started yellow expletives at the officials for that bad call and almost found myself being restrained by security. This is just another call in the VERY LONG LINE OF BAD CALLS & SHITTY OFFICIATING that has become of the MLS. Don Garber needs to pull his head out of his ass and fix the atrocious officiating that happens night in and night out. If not, I will personally fix it for him!!!
My initial reaction was that it was given Golden Balls special treatment. But when I saw it more closely, Burch cracked him hard in the back of the legs with the bell well out of bounds. I'm sorry, but I really can't argue with a red. ESPECIALLY after Burch's idiotic comment bragging about cracking him, "It comes with bringing him to the league, you know." That shows me that it wasn't just a mistimed tackle.
He wasn't bragging, Brian. What he was implying was that Beckham is watched out for by the refs.
yellow, not red.
Let's face it this is typical MLS officiating - they run around throwing yellows and reds and have no control over the matches. The linesmen (flagsmen) cannot even stay up with last man, nor do many of these officials even understand the rules of the match. This is supposed to be a professional league and yet we have unprofessional refs night in and night out. All this supposed money that comes in for expansion clubs and we are presented with less than stellar AYSO officials. Don "DICKHEAD" Garber needs to send these officials to train with their counterparts of the European leagues and increase the base salary of players. Pathetic, pathetic, pathetic - that is where this league is heading to.
What a joke. Another example to add to the list that the Ref's in MLS are absolutely unqualified.
Beckham is pure class. That was not a red, and he knew it as well as anyone.