SoccerAmerica - Refs in playoff race spotlight 10/13/2008

For two straight weeks in games officiated by two different referees, two hotly disputed penalty-kick decisions at Pizza Hut Park have gone in favor of FC Dallas.

The crowds at PHP haven't been especially rabid, and incidents haven't been all that unusual, and yet on successive weeks Abby Okulaja and Mark Geiger have radically altered the playoff chase by their decisions.

Aside from a gambling scandal, what just about every league in every sport fears most is controversial refereeing decision at critical moments of crucial games. And given the tightness of the MLS playoff race, just about every game rates as crucial.

In the case of Okulaja, he whistled for a penalty kick when a ball caromed off San Jose midfielder Francisco Lima's chest on the nationally televised ESPN2 game Oct. 2; Geiger pointed to the spot Saturday after judging that Toronto FC defender Julius James had dragged down Adrian Serioux in the penalty area during a free kick.

In both cases, Kenny Cooper tucked away the penalty kicks to give FCD two valuable ties by the scores of 1-1 and 2-2, respectively. The two points lost in each game did little to help the causes of San Jose and Toronto FC, though both remain mathematically in the race as of this week.

Yet the cases of Okulaja and Geiger, though similar in their settings, aren't the same. Okulaja blew his whistle at what he thought had happened, that Lima had blocked a driven cross by Eric Avila with an outstretched arm, when in fact that ball had struck Lima's chest and rebounded back into play. TV replays showed the ball hitting Lima in the stomach just under the rib cage instead of his arm.

So agitated was operator-investor Lewis Wolff that he said he called Commissioner Don Garber to complain. Coach Frank Yallop, a week after the incident occurred, still couldn't believe it but said, "We have to move on, we can't do anything about it now."

Replays of the James' foul on Serioux revealed both players grabbing and tugging as an Andre Rocha free kick floated into the penalty area, and in fact an off-balance Serioux hit the ball with his arm as it passed over his head. Furious TFC players swarmed Geiger and Coach John Carver, never a mild sort, kicked something near the bench as he ranted at the officials.

Did TFC's rough-and-tumble reputation "encourage" Geiger to blow his whistle at such a crucial moment? Or did the pulling and jerking of Serioux's jersey exceed the boundaries normally proscribed for such a tense situation?

Geiger had incensed the Rapids the previous week by sending off striker Conor Casey for a crunching challenge on Dynamo defender Eddie Robinson as they dueled for an aerial ball. Casey, whose extended forearm caught Robinson in the face, earned his second caution of the match and thus had to sit out a one-game suspension Sunday when the Rapids faced the Galaxy at Home Depot Center, and Colorado's playoff hopes incurred serious damage in a 3-2 defeat.

If nothing else, Geiger did at least stick to his guns, in that Casey had picked up a caution in the 33rd minute by slashing an opponent's ankle. For many seasons, far too many cautioned players fouled and bickered with impunity, confident that MLS officials lacked the gumption to hand them a second yellow. Casey, already cautioned, went for a ball in his usual reckless, robust manner, and paid the price.

The same fate befell D.C. United defender Bryan Namoff, who got his second yellow against Houston when he elbowed Brad Davis as they went for a loose ball in the 73rd minute. Referee Baldomero Toledo added Namoff's name to the book during a rugged 20-minute spell during which seven players were carded.

"It was a completely accidental knock," said Namoff, who'd been cautioned for delaying a restart 11 minutes earlier. "Not allowing a 50-50 challenge at that point in the game with a 0-0 tie is a complete error. I don't think [Toledo] even knew that I was already on a yellow card."

Without exonerating the officials, either collectively or individually, one could point out that it is the players, not the officials, who are obligated to alter their behavior after a caution is issued. If Geiger and Toledo upheld their end of the bargain by being consistent, didn't they at least supply the element that players, coaches, and team executives desire most?

Tighter tensions and greater pressure are certain to bubble up over the last two weekends of the regular season and in the playoffs. The referees' task of controlling play doesn't absolve the players of controlling themselves, whether the calls go their way or not.

0 comments

Ric Fonseca

commented on: October 13, 2008 at 12:50 p.m.

As an avid soccer "junkie" I've had the opportunity to see many games on the tube and in person. Unfortunately for US Soccer and the game itself, I have grown quite weary noting the nattering nincompoop color commentators lack of the Laws of the Game, from the incessant chatter of Andres Cantor, to the ever-nerve wracking highpitched Scottish voice (or is it Irish or English) narrating Spanish or Italian games) to the also nerve-wracking Argentine tinged Spanish, etc. This also extends to the players incessantly challenging the game officials, who in turn some appear to be backing down in their authority once they step on the pitch, to becoming so nit-picky in calling the game! The fact that Mahoney's article addresses the issue of two calls that affected two games, is it any wonder that this could've been because the referee failed to establish his authority the moment he arrived at the stadium and then stepped on the pitch? There is discussion galore on how players approach game officials they they foul or are fouled. Something is woefully amiss when the referees allow this kind of on-field behaviour, seemingly oblivious of the theatrics on the field. The Laws of the Game are explicit regarding decorum and bringing the game into disrepute, yet about 80% of the time the game officials bring this on themselves, not only at the pro level but at all levels. Recently I saw a local amateur game during which the ref was called every name in the book, in Spanish, English, and I believe Arabic! Team A was attacking into the team B's defensive third; Team A player breaks the plane of the penalty area, and one yard inside, he was flagrantly tripped by team B opponent. Mind you, the Asst. Ref was about fourteen yards from the play, and instead of moving to the end line to help the ref indicate a PK, he just stood his ground and did nothing! Meantime, imagine the consternation of Team A, while Team B players meekly felt lucky and no PK, instead they lined up to defend a DFK inches from the edge-outside the PA! The net result was: Team A was "robbed" from a possible PK; Team B, was very lucky. The Ref did not card offensive and defensive players, other than to red card a Team A player who had charged him and told him to put the card where the sun doesn't shine. The Assistant Referee? Bless his heart, he could hardly move much less tried to keep up with the last defender and lacked the oabdominal fortitude to signal a PK. The point of the above? Referess at all levels, MUST assert themselves. They must control the game from the git-go, and governing bodies must come down hard on players who usually win academy award trophies with their antics and theatrics! And this is applicable also to coaches, and bench poersonnel. And finally, didn't I read several weeks ago in this august soccer magazine that something was happening on this issue, and yet. Mahoney, Woitalla, et. al. continue to write on the topic. Nuff said, CoachRicardo

Stan Jumper

commented on: October 13, 2008 at 5:51 p.m.

There is no defending Julius James. He mugged Adrian Serioux. Not only did he needlessly grap and pull his jersey, he tackled Serioux by grapping him around the waist. It was the correct call and a very foolish job of defending by James. Perhaps what should be discussed is the substitution. Why bring in a player in the crucial last minute when he has no chance of being game ready or having a feel for the game.

Kent James

commented on: October 13, 2008 at 8:13 p.m.

Referees have a tough job; it's a fast game with a lot happening, and sometimes you get screened at the critical moment. So even the referees will make bad calls (or miss fouls) at times that can affect the outcome of a game. It can be a cruel game. But any defender grabbing an opponent's jersey in the penalty area has no right to claim injustice if he gets called for a foul. Shirt grabbing is a deliberate attempt to cheat, and unlike many fouls, cannot be attributed to misjudging another player's quickness or skill. And while Namoff may claim innocence on the elbow, it was not a straight red. He previously got a yellow card for delaying the restart, which I'm sure was a tactical decision on his part (again, a conscious decision to violate the rules). When you violate the rules, you should not be surprised that you are punished. Wouldn't it be nice if players simply accepted referee decisions, shut up and played the game?

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