Okay, it wasn't a serious question, but we just had to acknowledge Mike Magee's stunning turn as the Los Angeles Galaxy's emergency goalkeeper after a Donovan Ricketts injury and Josh Saunders red card left the Galaxy without a netminder.
Magee had no problem stepping up and volunteering for the job despite never having been a goalkeeper before, and all he did was make four saves and post a shutout to help the Galaxy win a game despite being a man down against the San Jose Earthquakes.
In case you missed Magee's performance, here are the highlights.
What did you think of Magee's impromptu performance in goal for the Galaxy? Did you think the referee blew the call on Saunders' red card? What MLS field player would you like to see in goal?
Share your thoughts below.
USSF trains and picks refs for MLS games. Corruption is only labelled corruption when your side didnt get their way. FIFA is what it is. Salt lake got olympics through corruption. How else do you judge Sunil’s job? You guys are gunshy.
That’s ridiculous. Lenhart wound up Saunders to get him to over-react. It worked. It’s part of the game.
Then again, I think it was silly to fine Davies as well.
I like #5…kind of like the millennium situation but worse…2010 came and passed…now what the hell are we supposed to do!?!?!?!?!?! PROJECT 2022 please.
John get your facts right.
(1) MLS uses FIFA refs due to FIFA rules.
(2) FIFA is corrupt and most likely gave the 2022 bid to Qatar for money.
(3) The US put in a good performance against the best Mexican side in over a decade.
(4) Unfortunate, but again see number (3).
(5) Its the start of a new world cup cycle and it is always a big change with old players leaving and new players coming in.
Lenhart got a yellow, what else would you want?
Saunders deserved a red. He took a swing at another player. That’s a straight red anywhere in the world.
point is, Lenhart deserved more accountability for what happened…moron.
Lenhart deserves a fine too from MLS…hell, I’ll say it…he deserved a good whack to the head so justice served in that sense.
FIFA needs to crack down on the dumb sh*t that Lenhart tried…guess they are busy with more important things like padding their bank accounts….damn.
OK, this kind of is the last straw for me. They need to fire Gulati for the following reasons:
(1) The USSF referees are atrocious
(2) USA lost 2022 World Cup bid
(3) USA lost Gold Cup
(4) USA will not be participating in Confed Cup due to the Gold Cup loss (an excellent dress rehearsal for World Cup)
(5) USSF has lost direction after Project 2010
In the era of Charlie Sheen, winning has an entirely new meaning, duh!
yes, yes, a thousand times yes to each of these two comments!!
I’m a grade 7 not a 6…but anyhow you bring up an interesting point and that is at the MLS level and higher the officiating crew during their pre-game prep. will discuss potential problems and player habits etc.. I did not see the game or highlights but from reading some of the posts it sounds as if there was a history with some of the players which could be accounted for by the referee crew.
Lenhart is a clown. It’s pathetic that San Jose couldn’t trouble Magee more than they did, but I’m glad they didn’t get three points out of it. And on replay, it looked less like an elbow to the head and more like a mostly defensive forearm shove to me. Borderline red, I think.
I hate Lenhart as much as you do, but there was more to it than what you said. I dont know how much of the game you watched, but Lenhart and Saunders had already exchanged some heated words and Lenhart knew he was getting under his skin. Thats why he went in for the headbutt, he was hoping Saunders would react exactly how he did and get himself tossed. Its what I call tactical douchebaggery, and Lenhart is quite good at it. I doubt I could go 90 without punching him in his stupid face.
A suspension. The league just announced that simulation, bringing disrepute to the game, would be punished by suspensions. A post match red for the headbut and another match for simulation (rolling around holding the face) and another match for violet conduct.
Nah, throwing an elbow like that is a red, especially in what looks a lot like retribution. I also think lenhart is red worthy, headbutts, which is what that is, is violent conduct. Lenhart deserves a post match red and an additional game for instigating violent conduct and what was Charlie Davies fined for? Bringing disrepute to the game?
Do you guys and gals think that the MLS should hand out a fine or suspension to Lenhart? I think they should deal with this and all bush league moves harshly.
EXACTLY, it was a reaction to Lenhart going back in for the ball AGAIN! total dbag move by Lenhart, and the ref got a little excited IMO. yellows to both should have sufficed.
remember this was Guzman’s first MLS game in the middle.
This should be treated as a headbut. Lenhart used his head to strike another player, intentionally. (when the ball is in the keeper’s hands, it is part of his body) that should have been a straight red as well, MLS should suspend him. No question
Thank you Tommy – I’d like to add once Lenhart illegally knocks the ball loose his challenge upon Saunders was ridiculous and cynical. My concern is what the misconduct report will say about Saunders: Serious Foul Play or Violent Conduct? The ball was out of play technically therefore more likely Violent Conduct. The sport is not beyond the referees, it shouldn’t be played like this at all.
Yeah, that’s why he got the yellow, moron.
Saunders was looking at the ball bouncing off the ground after Lenhart headed it down, and trying to get it back in his right hand. He swung his left arm in a gesture to push Lenhart away without even looking at him. It hit Lenhart in the head. Lenhart fell to the ground in excrutiating pain with the life threatening injury to his nose. Then he bounced back to play as normal after Saunders got the red card. Saunders should have gotten a yellow, not a red.
I don’t think anyone likes Lenhart. Even his teamates seem to avoid him. He’s an oportunistic striker. Doesn’t take one extra step to set up a play. It’s all about him. Every time an opposing play touches him, he screams to the ref. And heading the ball out of Saunders’ hands was a real bonehead thing to do. If he had a brain, he must have known he was issuing himself a yellow card, with no advantage to show for it. I watched the rest of the match just hoping the ref would find a reason to give him the second yellow.
Cap him!
The ref did whistle right away. In the highlights there’s a whistle (covered a bit by crowd noise) followed by a longer louder 1. Regardless of whether the play was “dead” or not, the elbow still happened and is a red card.
Long story short, Lenhart knew this. He is guilty of unsportsmanlike conduct. His yellow was justified.
As for Saunders, while one can see why he was shown the red – the elbow to face is plain as day – I don’t think the referees fully appreciated the nature of the foul. I would like to think Saunders threw a blocking elbow, but that it struck Lenhart’s face by accident. (Not that I wouldn’t have minded to see it make better contact.) If anything, Lenhart’s move could’ve been seen as a Zidane-esque assault. He did make contact with Saunders first, after all
Magee would’ve made those saves against Mexico.
Wrong. It is illegal and a an automatic yellow card. Ref should have wistled it dead right away
Yeah, as a certified Grade 6 refereeand instructor, I can.
Completely illegal.
The goalkeeper, once holding the ball, cannot have it taken away from him. He is entitled to handle the ball fort a continuous six seconds, but may release out prior to that. Short of releasing the ball from his immediate grasp, a goalkeeper can handle the ball in whatever manner he chooses.
The goalkeeper cannot be obstructed when releasing the ball (though the definition of “obstruction” changes by referee.)
The red was completely justified, it was the correct call, as was the yellow to Lenhart.
I doubt it – they do have a 3rd keeper, Brian Perk. Putting Magee in was an emergency fix, and I don’t see them making him do it again if it’s not necessary.
Well, he’s already the best GK in the league using his feet.
However, his save in the 88′(?) was a great gave saving play for ANY GK.
Mike used to play at the beach and in between games at tournaments and in backyard between 13-17 yrs of age, surprisingly he had great reaction speed and his athleticism makes him a natural. Still and incredible performance. Congrats buddy.
As a neutral I thought Lenhart deserved a yellow and Saunders deserved a red. Yes Lenhart was being an absolute **** but Saunders can’t let it get to him and swing his elbow into Lenhart’s face
The red was justified? Seriously? watch the game again
pretty sure what lenhart did was legal since saunders only had the ball in one hand. don’t disagree that it was annoying, but pretty sure it was legal. can anyone give us the definitive rule on knocking the ball out of a keeper’s hand or hands?
Thank you, I agree.
Did the ref not notice when he hit the ball out of his hands in the first place. That should have been the end of it right there.
+1
If you’re going to get a red anyway, might as well collect a couple of Lenhart’s teeth as souvenirs.
magee might start in nets next game. rickets is out with a broken arm and saunders is suspended.
You are wise…the fact it says “Galaxy win” in the body of the story is factually incorrect. That’s mainly is what I was pointing out. The Quakes should be ashamed of themselves for not capitalizing.
I would have given Saunders a yellow for self-defense. An opposing player comes in with his head like that? Lenhart gets what he deserves with a shove. I hope MLS suspends Lenhart one game for unsportsmanlike conduct.
I only wish Lenhart was hit harder and left on the ground crying. He’s a disgrace.
The red card WAS justified, though Lenhart is a moron.
But it didn’t count for 3 points did it?
^ From a San Jose fan.
Ha LA had a moral victory but that’s about it.
You don’t have Ricketts, Landon, Beckham. You get a crappy unbelievable red card to a KEEPER! Then you put a forward in goal and still create chances and pitch a shutout! That is a win!!!
la didnt went, it finished level 0-0
A shutout with a midfielder at goal = a win.
Everyone keeps saying LA won this game. I thought it was a draw?
Does that question really need asking? Of COURSE he’s the best, no other keeper has a 100% shutout rate! 😀
Hans Backe already put a call into his agent.