When Cuauhtemoc Blanco visited Chivas USA, he was knocked down inside the penalty area in stoppage time by Alex Zotinca. No foul was called and the game ended 1-1. After the game, Blanco was asked about the play and the officiating in general. He put his index finger to his mouth and said he doesn't comment on officiating, that we saw the play and we can comment on it. It was a typical response from him as he doesn't often talk about the referees after the match.
After Thursday's 1-0 win over DC United, Blanco finally talked about the officiating as Luis Arroyave reports.
7 comments:
Its not just the fouls on Blanco but the league does a poor job of protecting its flashy players in general. Chivas USA forward Galindo takes a lot of hard fouls himself and it has spread through out the league that the best way to shut down tricky, flashy, or speedy attackers like Blanco, Galindo, or to a lesser extent Fred is to foul them often and hard. The league decided a year ago to call fouls and issue punishment for players slinging their arms at the head of an opponent. I think the same should be done for overly aggressive sliding tackles. Yes the league issued suspended Sasha Klistan's(sp??)leg breaking tackle on the Real Salt Lake player. But a better job and a message needs to be sent out that targeting players with hard play will not be acceptable.
There is another side to this as well. Resorting to hard fouls to stop a skillful player exposes many MLS defenders/players as not be very skillful. MLS, its players, and some fans have over the years fool heartedly prided the physical nature of MLS play. But this can only get you so far on the international stage both national team or club.
Absolutely East River. MLS will have a difficult time attracting flair creative players from other countries if the ones here are on the receiving end of cynically hard fouls on a continual basis.
Homegrown flair players will have their careers shortened (or may not develop fully) as well which will affect the US team in the long run.
It's a situation that MLS will have to address soon.
I think it's pretty obvious that some players are having a hard time with tne newcomers and fouling them, and others [see Jesse Marsch] are trying to make names for themselves off of the newcomers.
Two words: Tyrone Marshall.
Thanks FC Uptown,
The injury to Kenny Cooper is a perfect example of what Blanco was speaking of. Its one thing to let the players play its another thing to allow players like Marshall make a career out of giving career ending hard fouls. Marshall is not a very skillful player but plays the role of an "thug". More skillful players such as Blanco or Cooper expose the Marshalls of the world for what they are limited players with a limited role to play leading to very limited career. MLS must make sure they don't limit the careers of others.
ESPN recently ran a story on the lack of creative midfielders brought up in MLS and players like Ralston had to fill in an play a role they are not that good at. The result is that we usually have to import creative midfielders from Latin America. Its had for the American player to learn how to play beautiful when he's worrying about a bone crushing tackle from the likes of a Marshall or Demo Kovalenko(sp).
I agree with Blanco, had the referee been better, he would have given Blanco at least one card for diving :).
As much as it shouldn't matter when it comes to fouls, his incessant embellishment and outright diving is going to make it hard for officials to give fouls against him. Also, if he wouldn't openly disrespect the authority of the officials, I'm sure they would be more likely to blow a few whistles for him.
He's an annoying fella.
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