Chicago Red Stars Vs North Carolina Courage: 3 things we learned
1. Discussing NWSL refereeing standards
The standard of the officiating in the NWSL has been a problem for a long time. The lack of awareness of major fouls has been an issue for the NWSL for some time — over the past few years, there have been conversations about what even constitutes a red card in an NWSL match due to how few serious fouls get called. This is especially true when it comes to tackles that occur after the ball has been released. There was a prime example in this match.
Midway through the first half, Kealia Ohai stole the ball from Abby Dahlkemper. Ohai powered foward, eventually getting a shot off after Dahlkemper attempted to pull her down. But immediately after the shot, the other center-back, Abby Erceg, came flying in to tackle. She felled the Red Stars attacker after the ball had gone.
This is an issue throughout world football, but it seems to be especially prominent in the NWSL. If a player contacts and fells another player after a shot has been taken in the penalty area, it is never given as a foul. And yet, in every other area of the pitch, this would be so.
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The NWSL has dealt with sub-par refereeing standards for several years. They, like MLS, too, should review their officiating processes. This is professional sport and such simple errors should be amended.