Can't agree any more. Refs have been really hurting us lately. Sounds very cliche and whiney, but if you watch any soccer games, one will see that the calls have been extremely questionable, and as far as the Beckham goal goes, flat out WRONG. It cost us the game!!!

Very frustrating...

It's all about money...and the league needs it...badly. And other markets will provide that. Until that is different this likely will not change.
As a comparison, the NBA needs money and an emotional boost (again, for revenue) that is why it will be the Lakers vs. Celtics this year. The league will see to it (anyone else see the game thrown by atlanta and the amount of calls kobe gets?)

It isn't only us and we aren't the only ones upset about it either. One of the most common, and most valid, complaints about Major League Soccer is the poor officiating. Every year MLS promises to make changes and every year there are the same morons blowing the whistles. Until we can truly get clear and consistent officiating in this league it will be seen as second rate.

As for the calls vs. RSL, I watched them all and he has a case for each of them, but the most bizarre (though least likely to effect outcome) was the ref stopping the game with another minute (plus) of stoppage time in Toronto. In football that would be like blowing the whistle to end the game after 13.5 minutes past in the fourth quarter...it should be embarrassing to the league. It is one thing in soccer when refs blow subjective judgment calls, but to even error in the objective decisions is just pathetic. As mentioned earlier, it is tough to see my team use the media as an outlet to complain about officiating, but something does need to be done because it greatly diminishes the joy ability of the game.

Unfortunately, in soccer the defense dominates and penalty shots have become essential for a team to win. Probably more than 50 percent of all goals are the result of penalty shots. The better "acting job" a soccer player can produce when touched by an opposing player, the better the odds that a penalty shot will be awarded.

It would certainly open up the offense in soccer, if the offsides rule was just done away with entirely, and it would also make soccer much more exciting to watch. The offsides rule makes it extremely difficult to have any break-away goals.

Excellent article and points made by coach Kreis. Thanks coach for having the courage to come out and work for fairness and excellence on the field, despite the obvious retribution that will come your way.

Regarding DC & the Galaxy, the league has openly admitted that it wants to see teams with these high paid, designated players succeed. So I don't know why it would be a conspiracy theory to think that the refs, controlled by the MLS, were overtly favoring teams like DC, Galaxy, Red Bulls, even Toronto (with its sold out stadium). Checketts needs to step up and use his clout with the league to ensure a fair game on the pitch, every time.

As for me, I've tried to air my grievances about the officiating directly to the MLS, but I'm unsure of whose email address I actually need before I'm listened to. One thing is for certain, the refs need to step it up a level, and soon, before the MLS can continue progressing.

I watch most MLS games on TV. I have to say that no other team has more adverse officiating than RSL. I have no idea why, but if you recall the last 3 seasons these types of calls have cost RSL many games. I just don't see the same type of one-sided officiating when I watch the other games. I have to agree with Kries on this one.

While I agree that the officiating has, at times, been atrocious, I think it's ridiculous to presume that the referees or the league are "out to get" RSL.

Trust me - take an anonymous survey of coaches in the league, and the ones whose teams are not winning will tell you that the refs have been unfair to them.

These refs just have not been well trained, and it sounds like the oversight committee is not doing their jobs by disciplining the refs for blantant errors.

First Jason is right, but venting his fustrations in the media is something he probably should not have done. It will lead to no good.

MLS has suffered with poor officals since the league started and only in recent years did they allow a small group of officals to become full time league employees. I do question allowing officals to officiate matches in which their home team is involved. This weekend is no exception, how can you have a head offical from LA involved in a match with a team from LA? Smell something fishy, and I am not talking about Ruiz.

Do I think officals are tilting the matches on purpose? I am not ready to go that far, but I know that the MLS has put a lot of their eggs into a couple baskets, the Galaxy and TFC are two of the biggest baskets.

I do think something has to be done about the officals, offside calls on a field with yardlines left from pointy ball should be right more than they are wrong, this weekend's offside call on Deuchar's 2nd goal, was a bad call, not even as close as some have thought.

Hey yo. yeah officials have an influence on game at times, but all in hand lets not spend to much energy on this subject and more energy on improving this team. We can blame the officials all we want but nothing is going to change the fact that were all humans who are going to make mistakes. Look at us letting go the leading scorer. MISTAKE I thought, but I guess I probably don't know the full story.

Jason is a crybaby! Keep blaming the refs. WAAAA WAAAA WAAAA.

Not only was Deuchar's offsides a bad call, how about Donovan's (2) almost goals, they were both offside no calls.

It's not just RSL with these match breaking bad calls, I have watched some matches where the call is made & you really wonder what the referee was thinking.

I didn't know soccer had rules. I thought players just run around in circles and never kick the ball in the goal and then after the "game" all the fans had riots.

Is Rick Adelman coaching Real Salt Lake now? Losers complain about the officials to the media. It's pathetic.

Not to be like the NFL, (pointy ball, knuckle-dragger ball, neanderthal ball, etc.), but what if disallowed goals that would change the game outcome, be reviewed.

Only goals -- no other calls!

The thing about the rule book is the last one, which basically states that the referee can do whatever they want "in the interest in sportsmanship." I've only been watching MLS for two seasons and their refs aren't worse or more capricious than anywhere else.
I watched a La Liga match in which a player got a RED card for taking his shirt off celebrating a season changing goal and a PHYSIO was ejected for standing too close to the sideline (the replays showed him silently minding his own business), even the announcers couldn't stop laughing once neither send-off changed the result. My premiership team, however, once lost the European title to a flagrantly bad call. I'm still bitter of course, but as they say, the bad calls as well as the good do go both ways.

As a neutral watching the Galaxy RSL match, I would certainly say that was so. The second goal was offsides, but RSL deserved other calls that were missed, as did the Galaxy -- including a late penalty on Beckham, which I expect the ref might have, if only subconsciously(?), have considered as much as awarding a goal.

I am getting more and more displeased with Kreis. He just seems so immature. I'm not sure if other coaches do it too, but if he loses, he never accepts that the other team was better. Always insults them: "special goal by a special player...other than that all he did was whine", or says his team should've won. Officiating is hard. 22 guys on the field, and the refs have got to watch for everything. Mistakes will happen. If you're a good enough team to score the goals, the couple messed up offsides won't matter. If you're good enough, you can even survive a wronged penalty-kick. Suck it up.

It's SOCCER for heaven's sake! I've never watched a sport that is more dominated by officials. The officals have more control in this sport than any other, by far! The only other sport that comes close is NBA basketball. This is the reason I don't watch either one...when I can help it.

The more I learn about soccer, the more I wonder why anyone watches it.

Refs have way too much control, they flop more than NBA players, the players celebrate like they've cured cancer (could they embarass themselves more?)...All of you, quit wasting your time watching soccer!

I would like to know where you came up with the stat that over 50 percent of goals come from penalty "shots" (its penalty kicks by the way) You obviously have no data to back up your claims. Check your sources before spouting off.

Late Penalty against Beckham? Are you talking about Borchers' tackle in the box? He slid straight on and led with his shins (not studs) = perfectly legal. Personally, Beckham flipping through the air was pretty entertaining. No one was injured, Beckham left his feet after taking the shot and Borchers blocked it. Good thing you aren't a ref Bella.

The refs give the shaft to plenty of teams, they tend to be the bigger teams with bigger players. The ref on saturday was definitely star-struck. He didn't want to call back Beckham's goal off the free kick cause dealing with RSL's fans is a lot less than with the league officials for calling back oone of their baby's trademark goals. Easy decision for the ref.

I don't know why we complain about the calls anymore. The refs are incompetent, we all know this, the league knows this. Most of the refs aren't even fully trained. We are going to struggle if we depend on the refs to call good games to win. It might never happen.

The MLS officiating can be poor at times, but complaining about it is pointless and just looks bad. Jason, if you are reading this, please ignore the blasted officials and focus on your team's weaknesses (of which there are plenty) and look at where you need to improve.

Actually Scotty, less than 10% of all goals scored in MLS this season have been penalty "shots". Don't know where you got the 50% number, but my guess is it would take a doctor with a flashlight to show us.

And getting rid of offsides wouldn't cause more breakaways because defenses would be forced to sit back by their own goal. If anything there would be less breakaways.

Good for Jason for talking up, and knowing he is going to get fined.

That last non-call against Deuchar for being off-sides was a breaker for me. Can we have consistency, please?!!?

The league needs to team up with the USSL and have a minor and "major league" flight for referrees. Every ref should be evaluated by MLS after ever game and if they miss calls they should be "demoted" to the USSL. Those that are consistent in the USSL should be "promoted" to MLS during the season on a weekly basis. This way refs would be held to a higher standard since there will be consequences for poor reffing and accountability. Those that do really well would get playoff games and the MLS Cup as a bonus.

I also notice that the East side has the same linesman week after week. He was the guy that blew the Deuchar goal. I think that RSL and other MLS clubs hire the 4th official and the linesmen. Anyway Coach Kreis, enjoy the league fine....

Through years of youth soccer, little league, CYO basketball, et al - one of the first lessons learned "was don't complain about the refs". Do they make mistakes? Absolutely. Does it cause four years of incredibly bad soccer in a boring atmosphere? Absolutely not. Are there conspiracy theories dictated by marketing? Yep, and some of them may be true, but not to the effect that RSL is consistently one of the worst teams in MLS. MLS needs RSL to be successful - as an expansion franchise in a minor league market (yes,we are...) without the corporate dollars you find in NYC, Chicago, LA or even Dallas and Denver, they need to win in order to prove that the MLS experiment (and the $100M stadium investment) will work in the Rocky Mountains. If there was a conspiracy theory - it would be to help a club like RSL get the breaks. I have rarely if ever seen Jerry Sloan blame four years of losing (or one season, or one game) on bad officiating - this coach is young, and will learn, but this is NEVER a good way to address the problem of a bad team.

This is why I do not watch soccer anymore, and can't stand any competitive soccer. Too many judgement calls, too many flops and too many whiners.

Maybe us loyal fans (not including Scotty) should take up a money drive to cover Coach Kreis's impending fine. Maybe that will send a message to the league that fans are frustrated about crappy reffing to.

At least for the DC game, the Laws of the Game give both as penalties.

On the hand ball, his hand was raised in a position where it was acting as a barrier to kick over. I am sure that in the opinion of the referee the hand being raised like that had to be of a deliberate nature and therefore a penalty kick.

On the second, the first infraction occurred outside of the penalty box. The second infraction occurred inside the penalty box. Emilio stayed up and moving after the first and therefore got a moment while the referee looked to see if there was advantage, when he was taken down inside the box, that was called, but it is then up to the referee to decide whether or not it is more advantageous to the fouled team to pull it back to the first foul or place at the second. Both are fouls, and the choice made was to give advantage to the first foul and call the second.

I have not seen the plays in question but I believe the problem lies in the way soccer is officiated. In all other sports there is more than one official calling the game. If there is a questionable call they talk and do their best to get the call right. Too much power is given to one person and he is not to be question.

I'm glad Kreis is saying something. I've complained to the league office myself before. They don't care. The amateurish officiating in this league is a complete embarrassment to soccer. Kreis is exactly right. The league needs consistent officiating and they are not doing anything to make that happen.

I was shocked Saturday when the referee awarded Beckham a direct kick on a dangerous play call. I was even more frustrated when the same type of play should have been called two other times and was not called. Maybe if it had been Beckham that was fouled . . . ?

If you want another conspiracy theory: The league (and maybe even the referees) are doing everything they can to make LA successful. They've consistently changed the rules to give the Galaxy an advantage. Need evidence? How about changing the rules so the Galaxy can have 3 designated players (Beckham, Donovan, Ruiz).

How can anyone take this league seriously until the league starts to act in a professional manner?

I'm glad Jason spoke. The direct kick being allowed is a joke... Only way to put it

Regardless of whether or not RSL has paid a higher price for the inept officiating in this league, something needs to be done for the leagues sake. MLS may be a fourth or fifth tier league, but the officiating is on a much lower level than that.

Having said that, it is a thankless job and the league more than likely doesn't compensate this role highly enough to attract higher quality.

Have you ever seen an RSL game? If you have, then you should realize the officiating is a huge problem. This is a PROFESSIONAL league, not high school. The officials should be of PROFESSIONAL caliber, not high school.

By the way, Kreis didn't blame four years of losing on the refs and I doubt he ever would. What he's doing is pointing out a problem that needs to be fixed.

Kreis openly criticizing the quality of MLS reffing: good.

Kreis insinuating that poor reffing is in ANY way responsible for RSL's ugly record this season: very, very bad.

Soccer Slug: please, stop watching soccer, and please stop commenting on soccer stories. You'll be happier, and we'll be happier.

Removing the offsides rule would have an interesting effect. It would remove one of the defense's advantages and force defenders to mark a forward on any point on the field. Removing the offides rule would force the defense to defend and cover the entire pitch. It would also open up the field and would give the offense more space. I think the removal of the offides rule would probably result in more shots on goal and would showcase the athletic abilities of the goalkeepers, resulting in more shots, saves, and goals.

But, I don't think it's going to happen (at least not in our lifetime). MLS plays by FIFA's rules and FIFA is a global governing body that is slow to change.

Snooze.

A bad call at the wrong place on the field can really hurt you in soccer, so I understand the angst, but I doubt the refs have some kind of vendetta or something to prove against RSL. Don't go and give them a reason to hate you.

Pick your battles, Kreis. I can see fighting against your opponent getting a direct kick, when it should have been an indirect kick. Yeah, that's clearly a wrong that should have been made right on the field. But then to attach less definitively bad calls from game to game and ref to ref is trumping up a conspiracy theory showing a distrust for refs in general. You get enough refs on your bad side tying them all together as making bad calls and you'll be right, they will be conspiring against you.

That Beckham free kick does irk me, though!

Yeah there is a problem with the quality of the referees in the league, but the league isn't doing much to fix it. Refs all over the world make mistakes, but you can't even compare the officials in the bigger leagues over sees with the MLS refs. Sometimes the refs here look like they don't even have a clue.

The league needs to institute some sort of accountability to ensure a consistent effort. Lots of the errors could be fixed by increased focus and effort. It isn't that difficult to make consistent calls. Consistency is what everyone wants, and that is a lot easier to enforce and produce than perfection.

Whining isn't going to fix anything, and is probably part of the reason why refs are the way they are. I would be sick of people screaming demeaning insults and berating me about my efforts too. We'll see if the league reacts to Kreis' protest. Doubt it, but we'll see if saturday is any different.

MLS is a third-rate league because the quality of the officiating is even worse than the quality of play.

Soccer officiating, however, is as subjective as NBA officiating. Even if there is only a subconscious sense in the official's mind of who should win a game, it will affect the outcome, especially the number of penalty kicks or free throws in a given match or game. This becomes more intense the longer a close contest persists.

Smaller teams in smaller markets have to learn to crush their opponents because the unconscious impetus of officiating is always toward the bigger team.

Referees have more influence in soccer matches than almost any other sport. They can dictate the pace and the roughness of the match and they also control the clock. The calls of the MSL refs against RSL are worst than anything the Jazz will see the referee biased Laker Kobe Bryant and crew.

You are right it is SOCCER for heaven's sake! I have never read a more uninformed comment. If you don't like soccer why are you reading and writing about it! I hate softball, I will never watch, never read about it and I will for sure NEVER comment about it cause I DON'T CARE FOR IT!!

The more I read your comment, the more I wonder why you even are concerned enough to write about it.

Seriously stop wasting out time and please try to understand the beauty of the game before commenting on it (before you embarrass yourself more) Slug STOP wasting your time writing about soccer!

PS.. Run a spell check before posting.. its OFFICIALS and EMBARRASS.... not officals and embarass..

I, for one, am amazed that anyone can understand the rules of soccer.

Calm down. People who don't care about soccer read and write about soccer because their tax dollars are going to build a stadium for a team and league that will be gone within 10 years. If that was happening with a softball team you would care too so stop YELLING at people Mr. English Professor. I hope I spelled every word correctly so you don't have to run a spell check on me as well.

How do you know that not only will RSL fail within 10 years, but that the entire league will as well?

Soccer is the World's sport, the most popular in the world... the U.S. is just behind everyone else with their lack of interest. But that interest is slowly growing. Will it ever be so avidly popular here? Maybe, maybe not. But I can see it rising to at least the level of popularity that professional Hockey has.

Speaking of which, Hockey really isn't all that popular with the general population in America either. When was the last time you saw televised games of it on a major network? I can't recall any. Yet arenas are built for it and the teams don't vanish... Utah has had the Grizzlies for many years now. So what makes you think our country's Pro Soccer league is going anywhere?

Also, OUR tax dollars aren't going toward the RSL stadium... the tax dollars being used are from Hotel taxes, so the tourists visiting our state are giving that money.

If you or others don't like Soccer, fine... but that's no reason to try and run it out of the state.

You're seriously going to bring the stadium into all of this? Lame

Do you know anything about MLS, or soccer?

Slug,
While I have no intention of criticizing your grammar or spelling, I will, however, take this opportunity to cast derision upon your grasp of the facts.

"Their tax dollars" = False. It's not your money, nor do you have any say in how it's used. Sorry.

"A league that will be gone in 10 years" = False. Sorry, again, but the league adding two expansion teams, building stadiums, signing contracts, bringing in talent, and doing juuust fine.

Have a nice day.

The second goal scored by Deuchar was offsides and should have been called back also. Jason should be happy they got that call wrong too.

Note: "If you don't like soccer why are you reading and writing about it!" In my advanced Ivy league degree I have been informed that a sentence in the form of a question is deserved of a question mark at the terminal end.

Further, "Seriously stop wasting out time and please try to understand the beauty of the game..." I believe when reading this phrase you posted you will understand its error.

Point: We all make mistakes; trolls who attempt to demoralize the beautiful, wonderful game of soccer should not be aggravated when doing so- it will only augment their motivation to carry on as trolls.

good day-

My problem is the inconsistency of the referees, FIFA have allowed referees to use individual judgement to call fouls, it needs to be changed to what is a bad foul and what isn't. Handballs are the same, if Kovalenko was a handball then any ball to hand needs to be called throughout the season to all the refs, if you are a soccer player I don't know how you can slide without raising your arm.

I understand Kreis's frustration...The ref who made the mistake about the indirect free kick needs to say he screwed up, the ref who didn't add the extra one minute, sure RSL probably would not have scored, but stranger things have happened, also if no one from the league is going to admit that there was a mistake then they become the ones to blame for not changing the refs.

Deuchar was offside on the second goal...however I hate make up calls, if you make a mistake move on, don't give one back.

FIFA needs to look at video replays around the penalty area, what would it hurt having the 4th official look at a video screen and say yes or no to the ref.

MLS refs stink, but everyone knows that going into the game. But bad officating usually tends to even out over time. Kries needs to quit crying and making excuses and concentrate on making his team better. Until he coaches a perfect game then he needs to stop expecting perfection from the refs.

It doesn't to matter what the sport, fans here whine about officiating more than anywhere else in the country. That includes high school, college or pro.