This is going to be a slightly different match report for me. I've always tried to present an even-handed view of a match. I've tried to be fair to the referee's, coaches and the other team, and for the most part I feel that I've succeed.
I am a reporter first and foremost and a Riverhounds fan second. As such I'm sure that many will say that I have sour grapes over last night's 4 - 3 loss and that my complaint has been influenced by the Hounds organization. It has not been. I take full responsibility for what I'm about to say.
It is said that the best referee's are the one's you never see. I wish that I had never laid eyes on Hector Toban last night. The job he did last night should be reviewed by the league and shown to new referees as "things not to do." He affected the outcome of the game and generally put a black mark on the profession.
It all started in the 8th minute of play when Jakob Fenger scored an unassisted goal. Randy Dedini was bobbling a long cross that came into the box and Fenger rushed the goalie. He collided with Dedini, which forced him to drop the ball. Fenger then swooped down on the free ball and easily scored.
Dedini protested the call and Toban admitted he had made a mistake yet did not call the foul. "I asked the ref about it at halftime. He said he made a mistake in not calling the foul." Dedini commented after the game.
Although Dedini was bobbling the ball, he was clearly in possession of it. A call should have been made and normally would have been made.
Instead of rolling over and dying however the Hounds showed great heart and continued to press forward. Seven minutes after the goal was scored Justin Evans just missed high and wind on a well-driven header.
Pittsburgh would continue to press getting good chances from Chulis (23rd min.), Villar (26th min.), Woolfolk (30th min.) and DePalma in the 33rd minute that Mariner's keeper Matt Nelson had some difficulty with.
Virginia Beach's best effort came in the 39th minute when a series of one touch passes sliced through the Riverhounds defense and found Dante Washington open in the box. He pushed the ball a little bit too far forward and Dedini quickly covered.
Another defensive breakdown in the 43rd minute let Washington take a shot but his effort sailed high.
Up until this point I though Toban had called a fair game. What happened in the last 45 minutes of play however was enough to sour my stomach. Toban lost control of the match. I'm not sure where it happened, but there were seven cards issued in the second half. Including three red cards, there were only a total of 16 fouls committed by both teams in the second half.
Cards were issued to Pittsburgh's Tim Glowenka in the 58th minute (his only foul of the game). Gary DePalma in the 66th minute (Red Card for retaliation after a Virginia Beach player kicked him first). Michael Green in the 80th minute (Red Card for a tackle that was admittedly late but he did get the ball first and showed no intent to injure the other player). David Flavius was issued a yellow in the 90th minute for unsporting behavior. I can't blame him if he said something.
Virginia Beach was also issued some cards. Fenger got a yellow in the 64th minute. Amani-Dove was ejected in the 66th minute for his run in with DePalma and Williams was cautioned in the 89th minute.
Somehow a soccer game was still going on despite the referees best effort to stop it. Virginia's Roland Aguilera scored two very pretty goals in the 68th and 71st minutes. Kevin Knott assisted the first while the second was unassisted.
Former National Team member Roy Lassiter set up Dante Washington for the fourth Virginia Beach goal of the evening.
Leading by four goals and with 15 minutes to play, the Mariners got a little bit sloppy and let the speedy David Flavius loose. He was able to take advantage of space; at this time both teams were playing with 10 men, and bury a crisp pass from David Worthen.
Pittsburgh would continue to press and an intercepted pass would give Thigo Martins his league leading 20th goal of the season.
Then Toban managed to interfere with the game again because of his mistakes. After the Martins goal he rushed into the net and run it back to center. The Mariners stepped up to the ball, Toban blew his whistle - and nothing happened. The Mariners stood around it.
One of them finally stepped on the ball; the Hounds rushed in and played it. Toban whistles the play dead and threatens to pull out yet another card, this time on Pittsburgh!
I've seen delay of games before and if anything a card should have been issued to the Mariners. Instead no card is issued and the Mariners are given the kickoff again. Again the Mariners delay but not a long and play finally resumes. Elapsed time roughly two minutes.
Shortly after the announcement of three minutes of extra time was announced (more on that in a moment) Pittsburgh pulled within one. Justin Evans shot from thirty yards out finds the back of the net, David Flavius is credited with the assist.
David is somehow carded here, although I'm not sure on how.
A comment on the time added on at the end of the game is in order. According to my well-thumb FIFA Rules of the game (2002) rule book, "The allowance for time lost is at the discretion of the referee." Generally speaking, it is 30 seconds for each substitution and an additional 30 seconds after a goal is scored.
In the second half of the match there were six goals scored. This alone adds up to 3 minutes of extra time. Add in the six substitutions total that both sides made and you have a total of 3 minutes for that. Unless the rules of mathematics have changed. 3 + 3 = 6.
I did not include any time added on for time wasting and injuries or cards. Nor was the whole three minutes of extra time played. A stopwatch was available in the press box and a total of two minutes 30 seconds was played. Not that an additional 30 seconds of soccer may have changed the outcome of the match but it does need to be considered.
The other reporters in the press box also questioned the amount of time added on at the end of the game and many of the call made by Hector Toban.
Sadly the league office will probably fine some of the Hounds and their staff for comments made after the game. It's a sad commentary on the league when they can fine a player but let such lackadaisical officiating go.
SUBSTITUTIONS
TEAM MINUTE PLAYER IN PLAYER OUT
VA. Beach 22 Bussey Mehoney
Pittsburgh 54 Worthen Chulis
Pittsburgh 62 Koral Potteiger
Pittsburgh 70 Flavius Woolfolk
VA. Beach 75 Alvarez Lassiter
VA. Beach 86 Williams Fenger
Pittsburgh 86 Jacquette Glowienka
Shots
Team 1st half 2nd half
VA. Beach 5 5
Pittsburgh 9 10
Fouls
Team 1st half 2nd half Total
VA. Beach 8 6 14
Pittsburgh 7 10 17
Cautions/Ejection's
Team C/E Minute Player Reason
VA Beach C 35 Hutchison UB
Pittsburgh C 58 Glowienka UB
VA Beach C 64 Fenger UB
VA Beach E 66 Amani-Dove VC
Pittsburgh E 66 DePalma VC
Pittsburgh E 80 Green SFP
VA Beach C 89 Williams UB
Pittsburgh C 90 Flavius UB
