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Revs successful in appeal of Cardenas card; Sounders’ Gonzalez suspended

Cardenas (ISIPhotos)

Retroactive refereeing has now gone both ways.

The New England Revolution were successful in the first-ever appeal of a red card under the league's new system, getting Fernando Cardenas' fine and suspension for the card he received Saturday against Real Salt Lake rescinded.

Instant replays of Cardenas' supposedly red-card worthy foul on RSL's Jamison Olave clearly showed that the Revolution attacker never stepped on the RSL centerback with his exposed cleat and was instead the one stepped on in the altercation. The Revs challenged the ruling, a process that has the potential to carry a lot of risk (SBI covered the topic here), and won, as the Professional Referee Organization, U.S. Soccer and Canadian Soccer Association representatives who make up the independent review panel voted unanimously to overturn referee David Gantar's decision.

The MLS Disciplinary Committee did bring down the hammer on Seattle Sounders left back Leo Gonzalez for stomping on Philadelphia Union defender Sheanon Williams leg, a play that went unseen by referee Ricardo Salazar and his crew Saturday afternoon. Gonzalez will be suspended for Wednesday's match against FC Dallas and is fined an undisclosed amount.

What do you think of the decisions?

Share your thoughts below. 

Comments

  1. To be clear, the goal was in the 62′ – not really a late goal, as a third of the match was still to be play. It also happened about 25′ before the incident with Gonzalez.

    All that being said, Seattle should have been a man down already – I don’t think anyone is disputing that.

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  2. What really sucks is that Seattle should have already been down to 10 men in the first half with Rose being sent off. Then Leo’s antics. Instead, they get a late goal and “earn” 3 points. That’s not right and you can’t fix it. Some things you need to get right the first time.

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  3. Great development. Glad about the Gonzales decision but to me Rose fr. Seattle should have had some post-match action taken on him as well. Reckless challenges, getting in the face of a ref… Clearly influencing that call and subsequent calls on him. I don’t care that it was “first-match nerves”, paid players are expected to debut acting more like professionals than hacks.

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  4. Rescinding bogus red cards, I think, is long overdue. Kudos to MLS for doing this. You never see this is Germany, and there were several false red cards handed out in the Bundesliga this season (including two yellows last Saturday given within 10 seconds of each other to Hoffenheim’s Ryan Babel against relegation-threatened Berlin). Players falsely red-carded still have to serve suspensions. Totally ridiculous.

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  5. I’m tired of people saying this. The MLS cannot “take charge” or “Set a standard” they can only follow FIFA. If FIFA gives them permission to do this, they can. Until then, they can’t.

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  6. Yet this play doesn’t prove that the MLS officiating is poor. I’m pointing out that referees no matter where in the world make mistakes…that’s what this was.

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  7. This is a great move by MLS to have these retroactive reviews possible and to take corrective action where necessary. Bravo!

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  8. I think in the short term anything can happen, but in the long term players should behave *more* because they know they won’t get away with things like they have in the past.

    In general I think this is a great move by the league, and it should be a model for FIFA in the future. You’re right that it could undermine the refs, but I think the net effect is to get more calls right and fewer calls wrong, which is a positive move.

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  9. Scott made no comparison to other leagues. He simply said it’s poor. If you don’t agree, than I would question you ability to judge the game as it is played. That being said, you have the right to be wrong. But you don’t have the right to be a donkey about it.

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  10. Yeah Scott…mistaken red cards are never given out in the EPL, or La Liga…only in the MLS does this happen.

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  11. do you think players’ treatment of refs during matches will decline because of this board? do you see more altercations occuring on the field because players feel like the ref’s ruling doesn’t matter as long as the postgame board sees “the truth”?

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  12. Nice to see MLS get it right afterwards so Cardenas won’t have to miss Saturday’s game.

    Still unfortunate the Revs had to lose a man unnecessarily. The officiating in MLS continues to be quite poor.

    Reply

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