Its half-time of the DC United vs Houston Dynamo game which is 0-0. I’m complaining now, because in case we lose this game I don’t want anybody to say it was sour grapes.
Referees hate DC United.
Heaven forbid we make eye contact with an opposing player, because they go down quicker than a coed in Cancun on spring break. Then they writhe around in pain for 20 minutes. Brad Davis, who I used to respect as a player, was UNTOUCHED by Ben Olsen on a run upfield. He dove to the ground, rolled four times, screamed in agony, and then had the cojones to get angry when Boswell called him out for diving. What a pussy.
Meanwhile Houston, who is not a dirty team, has been getting away with clutching grabbing and pushing with impunity.
And just to be clear, its not that I dislike a physical game… No. What bugs me is when the referee does not carry the same standards for a foul with one team as another. AND I hate it when players foul, then complain and dive when the same gets done to them. If you can’t take it, don’t dish it out.
—-Edited Monday October 2nd—
The ref was *marginally* better in the second half.
And just to show that I’m not the only one who thinks this, check out these quotes from chron.com.
From Houston Defender Eddie Robinson:
“I wish the league is going to realize that guy (Hall) has something against us and, I think, definitely against me,” Robinson said after the match. “One foul tonight and a yellow card?”
“My team is missing me for next weekend. I get fined and miss a game. He’s no worse for the wear. … I feel like we’re getting cheated.”
Amen, brother. There seems to be no punishment for anything these MLS referees do. Look in other leagues and you can see referees get disciplinary action. Look at English Referee Dermot Gallagher who was suspended following the now infamous match involving the Ben Thatcher elbowing incident. He only gave Thatcher a yellow card for the brutal elbow/forearm to the head which left Pedro Mendes unconcious on the field.
From DC United Coach Peter Nowak:
“Brian was involved in five games with D.C. United and got four penalty kicks against us and two free kicks late in the game that cost us a goal,” Nowak said. “We have to look very closely, not only on players and coaches but also officiating to put a better product on the field.”
The phrase “Never attribute to malice that which can adequately be attributed to incompetence” has never been more true than in this case.