By JOSE M. ROMERO
Jeff Larentowicz's low bouncer through the San Jose wall and past goalkeeper Jon Busch in the 72nd minute proved to be the difference as the Colorado Rapids came from behind to defeat the host San Jose Earthquakes 2-1 Saturday night at Buck Shaw Stadium.
A straight red to Quakes midfielder Sam Cronin in the 50th minute gave the defending MLS Cup champs a man advantage, and even though San Jose had chances, the Rapids took the lead and finished the job to go undefeated for the fifth straight game. The Earthquakes, in desperate need of wins to work into contention for the playoffs, are winless in 11 consecutive matches.
Caleb Folan converted a PK in the 39th minute for the Rapids, the result of the first big controversial officiating decision of the night. San Jose had taken a 1-0 lead in the 22nd minute when Joey Gjertsen headed in a deflected ball from Chris Wondolowski off a pass from Bobby Convey.
Folan was able to square up at the spot after the assistant referee called Cronin for intentional use of his arm (a handball) to stop a cross from Pablo Mastroeni. Cronin, replays showed, was sliding to stop the ball and it hit his back arm, seemingly not intentionally. Nevertheless, the call was made and Folan converted.
Mastroeni was involved in the red card incident with Cronin. Cronin slid for a tackle that didn't, according to replays, seem like it was done with reckless intent. But that was the ruling from the head official and Mastroeni sold the foul. Cronin walked off the field without any further comment.
San Jose had a chance to go up 2-1 in the 55th minute, but Gjertsen's cross to Wondolowski was shot over the goal.
Gjertsen, incidentally, scored his second career MLS goal.
Larentowicz's free kick went through the legs of Simon Dawkins, who was part of the defensive wall.
Colorado (10-6-10) has four wins in its last five matches and is up to 40 points, good for fourth in the West. San Jose (5-9-10) has only 25 points through 24 matches and is in eighth place, their playoff hopes dwindling.
This is such BS. Later in the same game a Rapids player had a ball touch his arm in the penalty box but there was no call. 90% of the time the ref will NOT call a PK unless it was judged to be intentional. The ref didn’t even call it a PK, it was the linesman who did.
These are actual facts broski.
It makes no difference if the ball is handled accidentally or not in the box. It’s a penalty kick either way, that’s why it was a clear penalty kick call.
Regardless of if it was accidental or not, the effect on the outcome of the play doesn’t come into play on a PK in this instance. That’s really only used if the ball is going out of play and can not be played by the fouled player. Since this was a handball and not a foul on a player it isn’t considered.
The question around this call isn’t what would have happened had their not been interference, its if the hand was in a natural playing position or not. Since DC had a penalty called in one of their games earlier this season on the same type of play (ball hits trailing arm of a sliding defender) at least MLS is being consistent about the call.
Yep.
And with 3 of their last 8 being against 3 of what are currently the last 4 teams in the table (albeit on the road).
Rapids are the hottest team in MLS right now (4-0-1 in last 5) and gaining fast on 2nd and 3rd in the West. Holla.
Yep.
Crapids – I’ve seen dozens of comments about this call and, apart from Romero, yours is the first I’ve seen giving any credence to the notion that there was anything controversial about it. He deliberately had is arm out extended in a defensive position and blockes a cross. That’s a no-brainer penalty.
And are you seriously suggesting that the positioning of defenders behind the player should in any way impact the decision?? I mean, the idiot announcer made some comment to that effect, but that was just another example of his cluelessness.
Jose – Come on man, I know you are still relatively new to the sport, but you must have been listening to the moronic San Jose annoucers, who were embarrassing in equal measures due to their lack of knowledge of the rules and their homerism.
There was nothing even remotely controversial about the hand ball. The defender slid in with his arm deliberately stretched out behind him and it blocked a cross in the box. That’s a penalty 10 times out of 10 in any league in the world.
The rule is NOT that the defender has to deliberately reach out and punch the ball or bend over and pick it up. Outside of Luis Suarez v Ghana how often do you see that? You’d NEVER see penalties given for hand balls if that was the case.
you obviously dont play soccer that much i presume if you dont think it wasnt controversial at all. Have you ever tried to slide to block a low cross? The trailing arm on the pitch is all instinct to help cushion the fall as you go down for the slide…
…or let me guess, you do play alot of soccer but when you slide, you ALWAYS have your arms at your SIDES. Ridiculous.
The handball was accidental and would not have changed the outcome of the play. BS PK.
The PK decision wasn’t “controversial.” The SJ defender clearly blocked the ball with his trailing arm as he slid in the box, and multiple replays showed it clearly. The red card was a terrible call. I felt the Rapids were going to win 11 v. 11 anyway, and didn’t need a controversial red card marring the victory.
It was another good night to be a Rapids fan, between this and the other results in the Western Conference.