Galaxy Recap: Sober Version

Round 2 of the Galaxy match lookback. I wish that I wasn’t going to talk about the referees, but I must. This article on MLS.net demonstrated that I was far from alone in waking up thinking not only whether sushi at 9pm was a good idea but also what the hell the referees were thinking.


Conversation post-game over beers:
Unnamed Blogger: “I’m going to start a referee review with ratings and rants!” (bonus points for consanancy)

Best Friend: “No, don’t do it. Those guys don’t get paid enough to be called out.”

“But they deserve to be held accountable!”

Other friend: “Yeah, think about it. In such a low-scoring game, the referees exercise huge control over the outcome of the game. One call or lack of call can have a huge impact when you only score one or two goals during the entire match. It’s not like basketball or even American football. Each call matters.”

“Besidess, they’re not minor league umpires, for god’s sake, laboring about the country on a paltry per diem and working at Home Depot in the off-season. If they suck, they should lose their gig, just like anyone.”

“Some of those players are only making $30K – if that. Waitress!”

Right. That’s where I stand today, sober even. The referees deserve to be called out like anyone else on the pitch. I will therefore proclaim Tim Wyland, Sunday’s referee, to officially suck.

Sigi and I are not alone in our criticism. John Carver, Toronoto FC’s former coach, complained about Tim Weyland's abysmal performance not long before he resigned from the MLS. Hmmm...