There is something fishy about Simon Borg's article about the Gabriel Farfan's tackle on Danny Cruz that was posted today on both the league's and Union's website.
If you read the version of the article posted on MLSSoccer. com (HERE), it looks different from the version posted at PhiladelphiaUnion.com (HERE). According the Union version, Calen Carr's goal was offsides and Brad Davis committed a handball in the box late in the first leg...REPLAY CONFIRM!...or so they say. Here's the addition to the Union version of Borg's post:
[Editors' note: Both the hand ball and offside have been confirmed by replay.]
Interesting.
Here's my issue with the people at the Union's website assertion...show me the replay.
I've gone back through the ESPN2 telecast of the game and at no point did the Disney Sports ever show a conclusive replay of either event. Don't believe me? Watch the replays for yourself, or check out my screen shots below.
This is the ONLY replay they show of Davis' alleged handball. Is his arm extended and not in a natural position? Sure, but where does the ball hit? You can't tell, at least not from that replay...and like I said, it's the only one available to the public.
Inconclusive at best. So how about Calen Carr's alleged offside? Once again, limited replays shown by ESPN and neither of them is anywhere near conclusive.
So I can really only make two conclusions about the Union's assertions. Either they have access to better replays that we've not been able to see or they're doing his best to shake the hornet's next ahead of Thursday. Either way, there isn't any evidence out there to back their bold claim.
Oh yeah, if the Union want to cry about these perceived injustices, maybe they should remember that there were three separate red card worth tackles executed by their players at different points of the match. See you Thursday.