The past two MLS Cup champions square off in Utah in the latest edition of the Rocky Mountain Cup.
Unbeaten Real Salt Lake and the defending league champions, the Colorado Rapids, have their first meeting of the year at Rio Tinto Stadium, where an intense match between bitter rivals is anticipated (9 p.m., MLS Direct Kick/Matchday Live).
Week 5 of the MLS season kicks off a bit before that, though as strikers Chad Barrett and Alan Gordon could each face their former teams when the Los Angeles Galaxy takes on Toronto FC at BMO Field (8 p.m., MLS Direct Kick/Matchday Live). Landon Donovan is not in the lineup again for the Galaxy, and David Beckham will wear the captain's armband once more in his absence.
If you will be watching (or attending) either match, please feel free to share any thoughts, opinions and some play-by-play in the comments section below. Enjoy the action.
Watch the replays. Paulo Jr only took one touch on the ball. Espindola was inside the six and Paulo Jr was just outside of it. Offside.
And this is why “eye witness” reports are not all they’re cracked up to be. Again, if you carefully replay the HD Match highlights, it’s clear that Paulo’s “whif” was well outside the 6 yard box and he never touches the ball again before Fabian hits in home.
When he whiffed, Fabian was CLEARLY offsides.
However, it’s an unusual case because Paulo and the defense practically catch up with the slow roller as it reaches Espindola.
So the question is, if you catch up to a slow forward “pass” that is received by a player who was offsides when the ball was played, is it still offsides?
Offsides is always determine when the ball is played, not when you receive it.
The answer has to be yes.
Proper analysis of the situation in real time would have been nearly impossible, but that goal should have been disallowed.
That’s where you all are wrong. Paulo Jr. did not immediately shoot/pass the ball he partially whiffed on the ball and moved it forward BEFORE passing/shooting it. At THAT point he was well inside the 6 yard box and Fabi held up where he was originally. FABI was ONSIDE as Paulo Jr. passed it/shot it because at that point FABI was even with the ball. Unlike you, I had a perfect view because I was at the game and in almost a perfect line with the play. It was a very close call, but all the refs have been instucted NOT to call offsides unless it is clearly offside which this one clearly wasn’t.
+1
Nice attendance, although to be fair it looked like half arrived in the 20th minute and left in the 75th minute. I know the weather was awful but it’s SLC not LA!
Neutral observer here. I’m not sure how Espindola wasn’t offside. I believe Paulo Jr and Espindola were both onside when Morales kicked the ball, but then the ball clangs off the post, and when Paulo Jr, who is just outside of the 6 yard box, taps it across the offside position resets. But Espindola is clearly inside the 6 yard box, ahead of the ball, and ahead of all the defenders except for Pickens. Clear offside to me.
My face is still raw from taking rain in the face all night.
Anybody trashing attendance at the RSL game is a fool. A legit 15,500 in a stadium with 30 mph winds and sleet the entire game on a wednesday! I was there, and I guarantee all but maybe 2 cities in this country would’ve had less than 10k.
Lol is that you Dunny?
I swear. No one knows what irony is.
Sh*t! I forgot to submit my predictions for MFLS. Goddamn MLS schedule
never mind i see a bunch of you jumped on it already.
I don’t see Espindola behind Paulo though, so I’m thinking “missed offside call.”
I know it’s late. But if anyone awake can explain to me how that wasn’t offsides I’d really love to hear it.
Didn’t Paulo Jr. basically pass it (accidentally)forward to Espindola? There wasn’t anyone else there but the keeper, right? Am I missing something?
Sorry, but you are wrong on this. Look at the replay ~5:30 on the Match highlights. Fabian is well inside the 6 yd box and Paulo is well outside when Paulo last touches the ball.
Clearly offsides but difficult to call with all of the confusion.
I really wish soccer would consider instant replay review on game changing calls like NFL and tennis. Stopping the flow of the game argument is nonsense since the game stops all of the time for direct kicks and injuries, etc…
It was freezing. Nobody can complain from internet land.
You forgot an imprortant part of the rule: You’re not offsides if you’re even or behind the ball when it is played.
1) Since it is Paulo Jr. who played the ball off the post, it only matters initially if Paulo Jr. is offside or not. He is held onside by the player on the near side.
2) Paulo takes about two steps with the ball and tries to pass or shoot. At that point is Fabi offsides? No, because Fabi is even or behind the ball when Paulo last touches it. Therefore, it is irrelevant where the Crapids players are.
Fabi was NOT offsides when Paulo Jr. kicked it since Fabi was even or behind the ball. If you are even or behind the ball its irrelevant where the defenders are.
Strange the Colorado players weren’t up in arms about it though.
Fabi was offside from the paulo kick, but not from Javi, although it doesn’t matter, offside is offside.
Personally, after watching the replay, I don’t believe that he was off on the kick, but he was off on the rebound.
If it didn’t end like this, then it wouldn’t be Rocky Mountain Cup time.
No, Espindola was NOT offsides, either when Javi kicked the ball (the nearside defender held him on) nor when Paulo kicked the ball, since Javi was even or behind the ball.
Chilly? 15,500 in a rain/snow mix on a Wednesday when the Jazz and AAA baseball teams are playing at the same time is a little lower than usual, but not too shabby either
any game after the champions games will seem like trash. it is what it is.
A good match – Colorado played well, and I’m an RSL fan. I think we have their jinx or something.
He was offsides on the kick AND on the rebound (one of the rules I hate most in soccer, but offsides is the offensive player cannot be past the LAST TWO PLAYERS INCLUDING THE GOALIE, so when the rebound went to Espindola, there was only Pickens after him, therefore he is offsides. See famous cases like Uruguay-Germany ’94 or South Africa-France ’10), and now I guess Rapids-RSL ’11 🙂
RSL got away with one there at the end…Espindola clearly looks to be offsides. Great game from two top teams though…
hahahhaha!
You know what’s going to be a good game?
A pissed off Colorado squad coming off two road losses to good teams that only lost 2 games at home last year, and has scored 7 goals in 2 home games so far, versus Seattle and all their road fans next Friday.
Oh yeah. I’ll be there.
Well then it’s a real shame, if they did a nice & consistent job even in close instances of offsides all night, but then blew a crucial clear one and present RSL with the win and the 3 points.
But not surprising.
Clearly off. Colorado is gonna be pissed when they see the tape.