Metro done in by inept referees in Atlanta, 2:1
October 5, 2024
If this game actually mattered to more than playoff seeding, we would be livid. As it stands, the 2:1 loss to Atlanta means that Metro will not get the supposed home field advantage in the first round, finishing somewhere between 5th and 7th. Whatever. Let's talk about the inept and incompetent referees!
Does anyone remember the 2018 season? Of course, you remember the 2018 season! Back then, Atlanta was awarded a statistically improbable number of penalty kicks (more than three standard deviations above the mean). And then, of course, in the playoffs, a key VAR decision went their way to completely change the series and guide them to MLS Cup. So, when compared to that atrocity, tonight was mostly irrelevant. That being said, let's get to the referees.
In the 66th minute of a scoreless game, a ball was played over the top and An Atlanta attacker fell into the lifted leg of Dylan Nealis. Since there was no one behind Nealis the Younger, that was deemed a red card.
A few minutes later, an Atlanta attacker was battling Noah Eile on the endline and ran into the defender's arm. That was deemed a penalty kick after some lengthy VAR. Atlanta scored, so that became 1:0.
In the 84th minute, Elias Manoel did everything right, staying with the last defender, taking the ball on the left wing and slotting it past the ever-bitching Brad Guzan. Even though there was no conclusive evidence that he was offside, VAR decided otherwise. Still 1:0.
Then Manoel scored again... might have been offside there, so we'll let this one go. Atlanta got a breakaway seven minutes into injury time, so now it's 2:0. Over? Not yet! Serge Ngoma scored in the 104th minute -- Metro's latest regulation goal ever, no referee could wipe that off, but it was too little too late. Whatever.
It wasn't just those atrocious calls, each of them against Metro. It was fouls -- Atlanta could do no wrong, while Metro was called for free kicks time and again. In injury time, Guzan plowed down Manoel in the box, yet it was the Metro player who was called for the foul. Whatever.
We have another as-meaningless regular season game left.
Whatever.
Lineup: Coronel, Tolkin, Eile, Nealis, Reyes, Harper, Edelman, Donkor, Carballo, Morgan, Vanzeir. Subs: Nealis, Manoel, Forsberg, Ngoma, Stroud.
|
