Real Salt Lake: RSL feels 'wronged' by officials
"After three successive weeks of game-changing decisions, it's time we vent a little bit and put things right," said Kreis on Monday afternoon. "I have a team doing their best to reward fans through a frustrating time and a frustrating few years. I feel the players are doing what they need to, the coaching staff is doing what they do, but being wronged by critical referee decisions is unacceptable."
It's more than just being on the wrong side of judgment calls that is upsetting to Kreis, it's what appears to be a blatant disregard for the rules.
"It's about time they start first off trying to be right, and then being fair," said Kreis. "It's too many game-breaking calls, all of them against Real Salt Lake."
In an exclusive interview with the Deseret News, and knowing full well he'd likely be fined for his comments, Kreis wanted to be very clear about the specific calls that have gone against his club.
The first "egregious and unacceptable" decision occurred in Toronto on April 19, a game RSL lost 1-0. After a disappointing first half, one in which Kreis took the blame for his tactical decisions, Salt Lake came out and realistically dominated the second half.
After 1:50 of what was supposed to be at least three minutes of stoppage time, Petrescu blew the whistle and ended the game.
Kreis knows the odds of his team scoring in those final 70 seconds was slim, but he's still ticked the ref shorted the game at such a critical moment.
Fast forward one week to RSL's 4-1 loss at D.C. United.
Kreis is aware his displeasure with referee Baldomero Toledo sounds like a conspiracy theory, but it's tough to overlook. All week leading up to the April 26 match Kreis read stories in the media about how D.C. United was planning on turning its season around against Real Salt Lake.
To then see D.C. United awarded two penalty kicks to open up a 2-0 lead early in the second half was extremely frustrating. The first penalty resulted on what appeared to be an inadvertent handball in the box against Dema Kovalenko. Kreis called the ref's decision, "extremely questionable" and inconsistent with other hand balls he's witnessed this season. Against Toronto, Kovalenko had a second-half shot heading toward goal deflected by an inadvertent hand ball without a whistle being blown.
"Inconsistency is when it goes one way one week and another the next week. (Decisions) are consistently going against us," said Kreis.
The second penalty kick in the 52nd minute against D.C. United was a game-breaker according to Kreis, on a foul that occurred just outside of the box no less. After blowing the whistle, Kreis said Toledo signalled he was calling the foul on Chris Wingert for tugging on the D.C. attacker's jersey. Despite the foul occurring outside the box the PK was still awarded.
Last weekend's officiating against the L.A. Galaxy was the last straw, forcing Kreis to end his private frustration.
With RSL leading 2-1 late in the first half, Kreis believes adamantly that referee Kevin Stott misinterpreted the rule leading to David Beckham's second goal. In the most recent "Laws of the Game" published by FIFA in 2005, it describes the difference between a direct free and an indirect free kick as follows: a direct kick can be kicked directly into the goal, whereas an indirect kick must touch another player before crossing the goal line.
The 38th-minute foul that set up Beckham's free kick should've been an indirect kick because Stott indicated the foul was being called on a dangerous play by Kovalenko. According to the Laws of the Game, "an indirect free kick is awarded to the opposing team if a player, in the opinion of the referee, plays in a dangerous manner."
Even though the rule states it should've been an indirect kick, the ref allowed the direct free kick. "He called it flat out wrong," said Kreis.
Three minutes after Beckham's equalizing goal, RSL's Kenny Deuchar had a goal disallowed by offsides. Kreis has watched the replay over and over and believes Deuchar was onsides.
"He scored a goal that for me would've been a game breaker, it would've absolutely demoralized them and meant two more points in our pocket," said Kreis. "We all want more and feel like we deserve more, and the moment feel like it's been taken away. It's unacceptable for the team, for the organization and whole community."
In previous weeks, Kreis said that Garth Lagerwey went through the proper channels of disputing referee decisions by reporting them to Joe Machnik, the assistant to commissioner's office for on-field competition, but to no avail.
"It's time somebody becomes aware," said Kreis. "We go through the proper channels, and three weeks in a row nothing is corrected. It's time people found out."
RSL's next match is schedule for this Saturday at home against FC Dallas.
E-mail: jedward@desnews.com
Recent comments
I think I have a unique perspective on the subject being a referee...
Dennis | May 8, 2008 at 8:42 p.m.
The MLS should be embarrassed by the amount of money spent on "...
Bravo, Coach | May 7, 2008 at 11:34 p.m.
People need to quit whining and move on. Sure, officials make mistakes...
Michael Canny | May 7, 2008 at 6:29 p.m.
