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MLS: Off the ball observations – VAR and the Whistle

By Christopher Dodson

HARRISON, NEW JERSEY- JULY 24: Referee Mark Geiger awards a penalty to New York Red Bulls during the New York Red Bulls Vs New York City FC MLS regular season match at Red Bull Arena, Harrison, New Jersey on July 24, 2016 in Harrison, New Jersey. (Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images)
HARRISON, NEW JERSEY- JULY 24: Referee Mark Geiger awards a penalty to New York Red Bulls during the New York Red Bulls Vs New York City FC MLS regular season match at Red Bull Arena, Harrison, New Jersey on July 24, 2016 in Harrison, New Jersey. (Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images) /
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MLS week 3 brought just as many thrills as we’ve come to expect through the early parts of the season. Here are some more off-the-ball observations.

Week 3 of MLS action is in the books. Last week had six penalty kicks and only one yellow card. This week, VAR played a huge role in several straight red cards being shown. Whether VAR is helping or hurting the game is still an open question. If it helped or hurt your club is the main deciding factor. Consensus is that VAR angles need to be shown for credibility.

VAR worked in the DC United v Houston Dynamo game for the Mattocks goal. VAR technology also was fit into the stadium. Look for the tech to become more prevalent in less affluent leagues as the technology becomes more adaptable and affordable relative to stadium scale.

No real convincing angle was shown on the Kendall Watson VAR red. For a straight red, the intent needs to be definitive. Seeing a tall man’s elbow in an elevated position is to be expected. Maybe it was reckless, but a yellow should suffice.

Dempsey’s red card was VAR assisted and will result in a multi-game suspension. These are the kinds of actions that make VAR worth the effort. These cheap shots in the game are not welcome. Players who hurt their team in this way will hopefully dissuade teams from playing them altogether.

Transmission problems caused most everyone to miss most of the first half of Philly and Columbus. If they use the same cameras, was VAR not available for a large portion of this game? MLS and ESPN+ should have this ironed out before accounts are charged. MLS Live is still free on Roku and other devices.

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The DC United announcers, “it’s in the net call” seems awkward. What if it is a VAR reviewed goal or barely went over the line? How many viewers were waiting for the rest of the goal call?

ATL made the dome green for St. Patrick’s Day. MLS could do more with the St. Paddy’s theme. Special auctioned jerseys for charity seem to work for other leagues and occasions. Each player could possibly put the charity on their back nameplate with their name underneath the number. MLS goodwill goes a long way to building a community fan base.

  • Further showing why they have not been announced as an expansions side, FC Cincinnati is now down to two sites with details yet to be ironed out. Which site is the leverage? Are the owners grasping at straws?

    • If Tommy Smyth needs an extra week to recover from St. Patrick’s Day duties, Tony Meola proved decent cover calling the game from the booth.

  • Chivas USA attendance low record is still intact. DC United managed to be worse than Olsen in communication though, as this email is completely unprofessional.  When fans complain about corners being cut, these examples prove the point. Running operations this cheaply, maybe Ben Olsen coaches a game in Audi Stadium after all. Soccerplex tickets were not even in the season ticket package.

    • Oscar Pareja is now No. 2 all time in wins for FC Dallas at 63. David Dir is at 66, plus another 15 shootout wins. Pareja should have the outright title sometime next year.

    Next: MLS Week Three Power Rankings

    • On the ball but deserving of a mention, Chris Wondolowski is now 2nd all-time on the MLS goals chart.
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