Handballs, Offsides, and Altering Articles to Create Faux Controversy, Oh My!

It just seems to smack of that; it seems to be some innuendo on the part of MLS that is simply being exacerbated by the writer for the Union. Since the NYRB-LAG series got all the attention because of Model-Citizen Marquez, we have to hype up the other series, right? Oh and hey, they’re playing in a couple of days so tune in or buy your tickets.

Look, between here and the guys over at tBG, I think everyone is in agreement that it was a match that was an MLS referee’ing tour d’force: allowing a game to get well out of hand physically, plus inconsistent play calls. It was one of those games where both teams got screwed one way or another. I don’t need a replay to tell me that, nor do I suspect other fans who are knowledgeable should either. Hopefully Jair is sitting in a classroom learning how to squirt someone who leans in to smell the flower on his lapel and NOT brushing up on the FIFA rulebook, and that he stays there for the duration of the playoffs.

While we’re at it, its a strange way for MLS to toot their horn about how they’re improving the refs and then turning around and hyping up the bad calls they made. Can’t have it both ways, Donny

Personally, the replays are inconclusive on both. But here are a couple of points just on the pictures above and the replays that have been released.

1. On the Brad Davis “handball.” In the replay his arm is out there, sure. And after the play he seems to spin around, hit the ground and then pound the ground as if he expected something bad coming his way. However, take a look at that photo above. Jair Maruffo is standing in the exact perfect spot to make that call, possibly one of hte only things he got right during the game, positioning himself on that play (Hey, y’know, broken clocks…). Since Maruffo had an absolutely perfect view and did not call anything, then either (1) Maruffo is in idiot or (2) there was no handball. Personally, my vote is (3) Both.

2. As for Calen Carr’s “offside,” there is absolutely no conclusive proof on that one at all. In the official replay, he does seem to hold his run, and the defender coming in from the far side seemed to play him on just as Ching delivered the ball. It’s a close play, but there’s no way to tell on that one. The one thing we know for sure is that 100 years from now, when someone looks up the box score of this game, there will be a line reading: “HOU — Calen Carr 1 (Brian Ching 1) 30”

3. This brings up the next point. We have all gone over the Bruin to Costly goofballhood that turned a sure third goal into a comedy of errors. However, looking at that one on replay, it looked like both Bruin and Costly were offside when Bruin got the ball initially. So I am going to chalk that one up to karma and stop being all mad at the kid about it. Score Thursday and I’ll never mention it again.

4. How great is it to have this conversation with Philly fans as opposed to those nattering nabobs from the Pacific Northwest? You guys (at least over on tBG) are pure class. And you guys are right on the money. I still think Dynamo went out and, in the words of Jayne Cobb, “Took it. And that’s somethin’.” However, one of the things they took was Piotr Nowak’s very (No)wacky lineup decision. If you guys come out in that again on Thursday night down a goal, then I think it’ll be time for the Philadelphians to do a little Doop on that guy’s face.