The story of the DC United/Sporting Kansas City game essentially began and ended with the offside call on Ike Opara’s disallowed goal in the 30th minute. I was at the game, sitting where the RFK Stadium visitors are, deep in the back of the stadium behind the goal. It’s a bad angle to see an offside call but I must’ve been in a better position than the linesman because Opara was clearly onside to me. Looking at the screencap confirmed matters but the damage was done. Regardless of multiple players causing Opara to be onside by about five yards, the goal wasn’t going to be given back and Sporting would have to try even harder to get the leading goal and the three points.
The scoring started in the 60th minute. Sporting was losing some strength at long throw ins and corner kicks due to Aurelien Collin’s suspension, but that didn’t stop the scoring from those long throws. An own goal by Ethan White put the score at 1-0 Sporting. The scoring continued five minutes later when Kyle Porter equalized to make it 1-1. The score would remain 1-1 and DC gains a much-needed point. Sporting would rue the loss of two points that were really beyond their control.
I have to admit, I was mad with the offside call. Yeah it was BS and it cost Sporting KC two points but referees aren’t perfect. Referees are people who do a thankless job and they make mistakes like everyone else. After a few minutes, I typically give them the benefit of the doubt and try to move on because you can’t really do anything else and it’s not like anything will change. I do, however, have to make an observation. It was brought to attention via Twitter by Kurt Austin, Communications Manager of Sporting KC, that the linesman who made the offside call, Matthew Nelson, is from the Washington DC area according to his LinkedIn page. I like to think it was still a mistake and Matthew Nelson is a professional who made an error and not because he favored DC but regardless, this situation put him in an unwinnable situation. I don’t know if Nelson is a DC United fan but even so, it opens up a possible conflict of interest when the Professional Referee Organization puts somebody in a position where they would ref a game in the city they live involving a team from the area. MLS referees already are criticized a lot for various instances and this is one that can easily be avoided to avoid any potential biases and doubt by MLS fans.
Anyway, it’s time to look forward to the next game. The next round of the Sporting Kansas City and Houston Dynamo rivalry commences on Sunday on NBC Sports Network. Sporting and Houston is a new rivalry but it has very quickly become one of the more intense rivalries in the league. Houston looks to snap a two game home losing streak which came after an MLS record 36 game home winning streak that was ended by Sporting. Houston hopes to pay Sporting back and take away 3 points in KC just like Sporting did in Houston two weeks ago.
(image courtesy of USA Today Images)
