All’s Fair That Ends Fair

    There was a fair share of controversy in the second leg of the Nutrilite Canadian Championship – Voyageur’s Cup.

    Camilo’s free kick: Precipitated by a soft foul call. Does not really matter, it was fair considering Vancouver had taken the lead in the abandoned match only to lose it when play was rescheduled.

    Ball “cleared off the line by DeMerit”: Photographic evidence seems to indicate that the ball had snuck all the way across the line before the big American centre back made the sliding clearance. It sucks, but was so tight a decision that in the current circumstances of archaic game management it is the type of call that will not be accurate.

     More concerning is how out of position the linesman was on the play, though how an older man running sideways is meant keep up with the sprints of younger, fitter athletes is a mystery.

    Plata handball & penalty kick: This one was tricky, far from an obvious handball, he did appear to gain an advantage, but the foul by Leathers was so clear that even without that advantage it could have been called. Throw in the mistake made as the above chance crossed the line and again call this outcome fair.

    Yourassowsky’s clip of Rochat’s ankles: Incidental contact or cunning gamesmanship. The Belgian has shown himself to be a practitioner of the dark arts of the beautiful game, so intent cannot be overlooked. Rochat, an experienced professional in his own right, though blindsided was aware of the presence of an attacker (who he was attempting to cover) and did go down rather easily.

     Fifty-fifty call, bit a gamesmanship on both sides; payback for the Atiba Harris foul on Nathan Sturgis as Eric Hassli scored the opener and first ever Whitecaps goal in the season opener. Nobody has ever mentioned that, but it was a bad knee high extended leg tackle/ attempt to get a touch on the ball that took out Sturgis as the ball went between them to land on Hassli’s foot.   

    Teibert’s yellow card on Plata: Should have been a red; high, late, from behind and done with malice as the game slipped away.

    All told an eventful match, well worth the price of admission, something that could not be said of many TFC games of late, and will help grow the brand of this Canadian soccer tournament.

     Regardless of how done-wrong either side may feel about the outcome of any of these decisions, or how subpar the referee’s performance and fitness may have been, it appears to have been split down the middle and fair on the grand scheme of things in the end.

     Maybe calls really do even out at the end of the season as is so often claimed.