What goes around….

With United grabbing so many points towards the end of regulation time, it was bound to happen that it would happen to them again.  Also it was bound to happen that the competition among MLS referees to completely botch calls would really impact a United game.

And they both happened in the same game.

United v New England

Without Gomez, United brought Fred into the middle of midfield.  This is the place where Fred allegedly ran amok in Austrailia’s league, but he’s been tried there a handful of times in MLS with limited sucess.  In the first half against the Revolution, though, he found stride and rythym in that posistion.  Many have mentioned that it was United’s best half all season.  Unfortunately, that half resulted in only one goal, and two crossbars. 

United has struggled under Tom Soehn to put together two consecutive strong halves in the same game.  They can come out strong, but don’t react well to the other team’s halftime adjustments, or United starts flat and then adjusts at halftime.  Coaching, on field leadership, team character, burning too much energy, conserving too much energy; this trait can be pinned on a lot of things, it doesn’t matter though, the trait is there. 

A second United goal in the first half would have meant a world of difference.  Opening up a 2 or 3 goal lead can deflate another team (for reference check out last year’s United team after giving up any goal).  It didn’t happen and allowed New England to come out in the second half rejuvinated. 

Comcast SportsNet’s Dave Johnson called it in his play-by-play that United was having trouble with New England’s speedy wingers.  They then got burned on a 3 on 5 attack.  Yeah, a 3 on 5.  Two United defenders were wandering around the box looking for something to do while Taylor Twellman and Shalrie Joseph were looking for a cross.  Josh Wicks brought the three way DC United goalkeeper race tight again by going after the cross while it was 3 feet over his head (thus 4 feet over Twellman’s gigantic head) while the ball floated over, straight to Shalrie Joseph, tying the score.  Giving DC United only the consolation prize of a writhing/crying Talyor Twellman.

Enter the Referees

Then the second half seemed marred by questionable calls from the referee.  Taylor Twellman found himslelf alone 10 yards from the goal, Wicks came out and blocked the shot at close range, and well, just ran through Twellman.  Wicks’ explanation:“It was a two-ball coming through, and if I don’t go, (Taylor) Twellman is in a position to bring it down and put it in. And if I go half-hearted, he can chip me. He’s one of those good players. My mindset was I’m going; I’m going to make a 50-50 ball a 100 percent ball. I thought that I did that fine."  If more United midfielder’s had that mindset of making a 50-50 ball a 100 percent ball, this game wouldn’t be an issue (and United could have 3 more wins this season).  The ball hit Wicks, riccocheted off of Twellman, and past the endline.  Resulting in a goalkick and a long run from New England champion whiner Jay Heaps.  This was the first sign that the referee lost all bearings:  he gave yellow cards to both Heaps and Wicks.  He then retreated to midfield without giving an idication of what Wicks should do.  Free kick or goal kick?  After several long seconds, and lots of pointing, Wicks took a goal kick to resume play. 

But Twellman was in the game, and had started to remember his signature move of losing the ball, falling down, sitting on his ass with his hands up in the air looking for a foul.  Mind you there may not be an opposition player within 10 yards of him, but that’s his move that made him a National Team standout, bigtime transfer to Europe,, well it’s his ‘move’ anyway, and he used it late in the game.  A long ball was sent in and Twellman and Namoff were battling for position with Twellman repeatedly leaning back on Namoff.  Bryan stepped to oneside, and like a scene from a failed workplace teambuilding exercize Twellman fell to the grass and executed his ‘move’.  And the Assistant Referee and Referee bought it.

From the Washington Post post-game:

After asking referee Hilario Grajeda, who blew the whistle, and assistant referee Daniel Belleau, who flagged for the penalty kick from the sideline with the referee a short distance away, Namoff wasn’t sure they were all that certain, either.

"All that was said to me was that there was a pulling," Namoff said. "They didn’t say on who. They just said there was a pulling."

So, in effect, they had no idea what they bought, they just thought they should buy it, and they did.  Fabulous.  At least be certain in your lousy call.

No points for United, at best all we’re going to get is a USSF after-action report in a couple of weeks which will say these guys were, indeed, lousy.  After thinking that the phantom handball in the opening game in LA wouldn’t be topped, and then the bad offside call against Chivas USA would be the worst call of the year, we’re left wondering if this will be the worst call of the year.

Upcoming

Well, if that game left a sour taste in your mouth, there’s always Red Bull.  No wait, that tastes lousy, too.  Well, United is taking on the New York Red Bulls, yet again.  This time in MLS action, on Thursday night @ 7:30.