yes, i am going to talk about the ref… and missed chances

**update**

just read these quotes from sigi on the penalty takers… as i suspected there is a chain of command, and it looks like he doesn’t want the guy that is fouled taking the shot. but what is weird is that sturgis is one of two, and it didn’t seem like he wanted it. i applaud le toux for taking charge on this.

“We had talked and it was Sturgis and Montero unless somebody gets fouled,” he said. “Sturgis really didn’t want to hit it and Montero had been fouled. Seba grabbed the ball and at that point, when players are in those discussions on the field, I think you gotta let them resolve it. If you’re resolving it for them, you’re maybe handing the ball to the guy that doesn’t want to hit it or maybe you’re handing the ball to the guy who’s now pissed off for some reason….It went in, so we don’t have to worry about anything. If it didn’t go in, then I’d be kicking somebody right now.”

**Original post below

i am as tired of talking and reading about poor refereeing as the rest of you, i really am, but boy wass it lame tonight. i will say, that it was likely equally lame. the wizard players were as unhappy as the sounders players, in fact, i think i saw two red cards to two of the wizard coaches at the end of the match.

so i won’t go as far to say as it was once sided, but boy did it suck. it was as if this guy didn’t make it in the police academy, so he turned to rent a cop, and then he didn’t make that either… so why not exert your power trip on the pitch. he seemed to fixate on the littlest thing and was calling the match as if he was on display. even the penalty that we got, which by the way was the 3rd clear penalty that we should have got, he dramatically pointed to the spot. if i was a wizards fan, that would have royally pissed me off. the best refs go unnoticed and this guy did anything but.

ok, enough of that.

the first 20 minutes we dominated and missed 3-4 great chances, and then we must have felt like it was their turn. KC missed 3-4 great chances before the endof the half. how it wasn’t 2-2 at half, i will not know. the second half turned a little sloppy with a lot of yelling at the ref, but not a lot of great chances for either team. there was at least 1, likely 2 penalties that i thought were no brainers, but the ref disagreed. just as it looked like we were going to extra time, well montero was chopped down pretty hard. it was the typical striker kicking the ball away but the keeper coming out and missing the ball and getting all of the man. i am sure montero didn’t hesitate to go down, but it is a penalty every time.

seba grabbed the ball, but montero wanted it too. there was a bit of bickering at the top of the box and both players wanted it. it was a little silly to be honest. this should be sorted out before the match. you have your first and second PK takers already decided, and there is a hard and fast rule if the man who wins the penalty is even an option. some teams it is always the man who wins the penalty, and some, never the man that wins it. either way, it isn’t a discussion b/c it is clear. well seba won the ‘argument’ and nobody will care that there was one, b/c he went low and left and beat the horribly colored bleach blond haired keeper in the 87th minute.

all in all it was a little bit of a forgettable match to be honest. there are few performances that stand out.

hurtado shut down almost everything that came his way.

zakuani had some great runs, but honestly, his last touch seemed to always be too far and he was easily pushed off the ball in the box.

king seemed to be everywhere and he really seemed to savor the role of pulling all the strings in midfield

jaqua and montero will not be happy withtheir finishing tonight. let’s chalk it up to a little bit of bad luck, but they both could have had 2 if we are being honest.

ok, so it is houston on either the 21st or 22nd. houstons travel sucks of late. they had to ogo to charlston today, and then coming to seattle this saturday, and then toronto the following saturday, and then back to seattle that tuesday or wednesday. there is no way that doesn’t affect them some. to be this close to the final, well, we have to take that game very seriously.

ok, off to bed.

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