MLS team go berserk as referee takes out player – allowing opposition to score

An MLS official made refereeing standards in the Premier League look world class after wiping out a player as he was about to shoot – allowing the opposition team to go up the other end and score.

Arsenal fans spent the weekend moaning about being victims of calamitous officiating, but the contentious nature of their defeat to Newcastle was nothing compared to the controversial manner in which LAFC netted a late strike against the Vancouver Whitecaps.

With LAFC 1-0 up in the dying embers, Vancouver threw everybody forward, including the goalkeeper, for a 93rd minute corner. The ball was cleared to the edge of the box, but just as Caps midfielder Alessandro Schopf was about to thwack it back towards goal, he collided with the referee whose positioning left a lot to be desired and tumbled to the turf.

READ MORE: Luis Suarez set to reunite with Lionel Messi as fans say 'MLS getting destroyed'

READ MORE: Mikel Arteta told he's 'biggest hypocrite in Prem' as old comments on VAR resurface

This allowed LAFC to launch an immediate counter attack and with no one between the sticks at the opposite end, Denis Bouanga tapped the ball home into an empty net to seemingly seal a 2-0 victory. Vancouver's furious stars surrounded the referee, who by the laws of the game could do nothing about his blunder.

Caps head coach Vanni Sartini was particularly irate, not least after challenging the soft penalty call which allowed LAFC to score the only goal of the game. After storming onto the pitch to confront the referee, he was sent off.

What would you do if your team conceded a goal like this? Let us know in the comments section below.

Fortunately for Vancouver, a VAR review clocked that Bouanga was marginally offside just before scoring and disallowed his late goal, but the damage was already done. The players were at sixes and sevens and Sartini's red card could be overturned, and LAFC held on for a 1-0 win.

The result sees the Los Angeles club advance to the Western Conference semi-finals, where they'll face the winners of FC Dallas and Seattle Sounders.

Having won the MLS Cup last year they're hoping to become the first back-to-back winners since rivals LA Galaxy achieved the feat in 2011 and 2012.

Vancouver, who have never won the MLS Cup, will have to try again next year. Hopefully, their luck won't be as rotten as it was this time around.

Source: Read Full Article