Major Link Soccer - Henry Love Taps Edition
by Dizzo on Jun 20, 2011 11:00 AM PDT
in Sounders: MLS Regular Season
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PrintIt was most certainly an interesting weekend in soccer for the Pacific Northwest. The Sounders managed to pull out a 1-0 win on the road against Toronto FC despite playing a man down for most of the 2nd half. Fredy Montero ended his most recent dry spell with an absolute wonder-strike off a free kick. Sure, the Toronto wall were pretty negligent, and left keeper Stefan Frei to twist in the wind, but that hardly takes away from the beautiful curl on the shot.
The win is nice boost of confidence for Montero and the team as they face a double this week against the New York Red Bulls and the New England Revolution. You can see highlights from the game here.
Crazy Game in Timber Town: The action on the pitch was even more frenzied down south as the Portland Timbers faced the NYRB. The scoreline was a hefty 3-3, but the highlight of the match was the red card to Thierry Henry in stoppage time. It's unfortunate that hardly anyone was able to see what happened as the stadium camera was focused on the two coaches rather than the field. According to Adam Moffat, the Arsenal legend gave him a couple of hard knocks on the back of the head. Moffat shoved back and received a yellow for the retaliation. You can see for yourself. Henry will miss his next match this Thursday against our very own Seattle Sounders, though they are appealing his suspension.
More after the jump:
USMNT Advances: I'm sure Bob Bradley and the rest of the USMNT are breathing a sigh of relief after advancing past Jamaica in the Gold Cup this weekend. The US side looked confident and composed in the 2-0 victory although they had to deal with an early injury to striker Jozy Altidore. You can see highlights here.
Hanauer Talks Toronto: Sounders GM Adrian Hanauer talked about the situation in Toronto before the Sounders game this Saturday. He acknowledges that the Sounders learned a lot about Toronto's early success in attracting urban fans, using technology and utilizing marketing to build a brand. He also seems very much aware of the need to keep improving on the field to keep those supporters loyal.
Stevanovic Goes Back to Italy: The hits continue for Toronto FC coach Aron Winter. Midfielder Alen Stevanovic, the one who helped Jhon Kennedy Hurtado pick up his 2nd yellow, is returning to Italy to play for Torino FC. Torino FC and Inter Milan are co-owners of the young midfielder's contract.
Revolution Fans Tossed for Potty Mouths: Apparently the New England Revolution had a group of supporters tossed from this weekend's game for using the You Suck A@#H*LE chant. The front office's press release cited complaints from other season ticket holders. Now that the potty-mouthed offenders have been dealt with, I'm sure the Revolution front office won't have a problem filling their half-empty stadium to the brim.
Jack Warner is Finally Gone: The shinning, glimmering icon of FIFA corruption has resigned from soccer's governing body after being suspended on corruption charges. One down and 24 more to go.
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Half Empty Stadium?
I think you’re being pretty generous to the Revs.
by Derek Young on Jun 20, 2011 11:07 AM PDT reply actions 2 recs
Weakest red (and yellow) card ever?
Not that I’m sad he won’t be playing Thursday, but still…
As has become my standard swear when I’m upset with the referee, “Salazar!!!”
Henry red looks well deserved to me
Moffat’s reaction is telling. Henry was trying to send a message by hitting him in the head and that has no place in the game. Henry was trying to be clever to avoid drawing attention to himself, but credit to the AR for catching him. I would argue that the yellow to Moffat is harsh. Someone hit him in the head and he barely reacted. If that’s a card, then there are dozens of those every game that don’t get called. That’s the sort of weak cop-out that refs use because they don’t want to be seen as partial.
Did anyone see Moffat’s challenge on Henry that preceded this exchange? Not that it excuses Henry’s behavior, I’m just curious where he’s coming from.
I think both players probably deserved Yellow cards.
Which for Henry would have been a 2nd yellow i believe. No way that is a straight red card though.
by DarthGreedo on Jun 20, 2011 11:30 AM PDT up reply actions
I think it's an easy straight red because why should we put up with anyone hitting someone else outside the run of play?
It’s dumb, it’s classless, it’s unsporting, it’s totally avoidable, do we need more reasons than that? I have no tolerance for altercations that occur outside the run of play, and I don’t see why Salazar should have any tolerance for it, either.
saying he "hit" him is a bit, well, over the top
He taps him on the head. It’s a dick move, to be sure, but not a red card if you’re older than 8.
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by Jeremiah Oshan on Jun 20, 2011 11:42 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Please do
Editor/writer at Sounder at Heart, MLS editor SB Nation. Follow me on Twitter
by Jeremiah Oshan on Jun 21, 2011 5:15 PM PDT up reply actions
Henry had done this several times over the course of the match
I watched the replay after I heard all the fuss. Throughout the match Henry was getting away with little things here and there. I think Salazar had given him warnings at some point, and the situation with Moffat was the needle of the proverbial haystack.
I think people get caught up in the singular event in stoppage time earning Thierry that red, but to be fair it had been building up all match, and I would be surprised if Salazar hadn’t been telling Henry to cool it prior to that.
by ABTsportsline on Jun 20, 2011 11:44 AM PDT up reply actions
What Henry was doing, exactly...
was getting away with elbows in heads, knees in the back, etc. He was getting a solid “blow” in almost every set piece, corner, FK, etc. Many times in the air it seemed he was getting away with something. I think that’s what built up to the red, plus to be fair any contact with a player’s head is dictated by the rules to be a straight red, no? Whether that always gets called or not is surely a different story.
by ABTsportsline on Jun 20, 2011 11:47 AM PDT up reply actions
no, there is nothing like that in the laws of the game regarding contact to the head
Sending-off offences
A player, substitute or substituted player is sent off if he commits any of the
following seven offences:
• serious foul play
• violent conduct
• spitting at an opponent or any other person
• denying the opposing team a goal or an obvious goalscoring opportunity
by deliberately handling the ball (this does not apply to a goalkeeper within
his own penalty area)
• denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity to an opponent moving
towards the player’s goal by an offence punishable by a free kick or a
penalty kick
• using offensive, insulting or abusive language and/or gestures
• receiving a second caution in the same match
FIFA has defined a blow to the head or neck as Serious Foul Play
I am not a Supporter | I am not a Fan | I am a Sounder
Sounder At Heart
I distinctly remember any contact above the shoulders as being an instant cardable offense
by ABTsportsline on Jun 20, 2011 11:59 AM PDT up reply actions
I'm not aware of any FIFA interpretatio regarding this
but the following directive from US Soccer to officials has more subtleties than simply saying a red card above the shoulders:
Contact with the back of the head: When applying the aforementioned
examples, the use of force becomes increasingly important when it involves
contact with the back of the player’s head. Although the likelihood for injury is
somewhat lessened as compared to contact with the face, referees must be
aware of the danger to injure that "excessive force" to the back of the neck may
cause. Depending upon the intent and the force used to the back of the head,
referees may exercise reasonable discretion/tolerance in the selection of the
most appropriate sanction.
More importantly
I’m not seeing anything that says it can’t be a red.
Clearly you weren’t around for Montano’s red last year. Similar circumstances, and similar result. Less name cachet = less outcry?
by ABTsportsline on Jun 20, 2011 12:25 PM PDT up reply actions
I'm not following either argument
If nothing says it can’t be a red, therefore it is a legitimate red?
I was at the game Montano got his red. He threw an elbow at the end of a play out of frustration, so I’m not following how it’s similar circumstances as cuffing someone on the back of the head. As stated above, “the intent and the force” do play a role in “selection of the most appropriate sanction.” It was not sporting and a silly thing to do, but I’m struggling with it warranting a red card and tere certaining is no “automatic” category this falls into.
How could "the intent" here possibly play in Henry's favor?
His intention was to hit Moffat in the head. He succeeded. He got sent home. Somehow Salazar is the one at fault?
if there was intent to injure
he would have used more force and there would have been a back swing. It clearly wasn’t intended to injure. It wasn’t sporting, and he was either trying to agitate or send some sort of message, but that doesn’t make it a red card.
Great, next time we'll keep Henry in the game until he concusses someone
Until then, I’m glad he won’t be around to hit Parke in the back of the head on Thursday. Henry has no one to blame but himself and ought to cut the childish BS out of his game.
concusses?
Are you sure you clicked the right link?
i think it was just making up.. if you watch soccer games closely
what Henry did happens constantly and if you were to give a red for every-time it happened then there would be around 5 reds a game.
Watch it again
Henry forcefully hit Moffat in the back of the head. In no way was Henry “just making up.” If that happened five times a game, there would be five fights every game.
Forcefully? Really? That wouldn't even bother me in Co-Rec...
Let alone if they were paying me…
ive watched it about 5 times. that was not forcefully!
im sorry but its not.
that kind of thing happens all the time. heck it even happens in high school games when they try to give cards for everything and that is not a card!!
Ok, I'll just count my blessings that I don't play with you guys
There’s no way I’d tolerate that kind of behavior, but hey, I’m more interested in soccer than inciting violent conduct.
It would be one thing if Henry happened to hit Moffat in the head like that (somehow incidentally) during the run of play
However, this is completely outside the run of play. Who cares how hard he hit him? He hit someone else in the head while they were walking around and the play was dead. It’s exactly like the red card Shalrie Joseph got earlier this season for poking Beckerman in the head. So what if it’s not “that hard,” it’s contemptible behavior, completely unsporting, and has no place in the game.
It’s really not that complicated—if you want to stick around until the final whistle, don’t deliberately hit someone else in the head when play is dead and you’re milling about trying to talk trash.
YSA chant
I’m not partial to the YSA chant. Tacking on the (mild) curse at the end feels classless and uninspired. I wish that, as Sounders fans, we could do better, but I wouldn’t stop our fans from doing it.
I do like yelling at the goalie and making it personal. While everyone else chants YSA, I’d chime in with “you fail, Coundoul” or whoever the keeper is. It reminds me of going to hockey games where we’d sing the goalie’s name derisively three times and then yell “you suck!”
Maybe we could get away from YSA if there was something better to chant.
Fan of: Cardinals, Blues, Sounders, Yellow Jackets, Wolverines, Rams, and Blazers.
Agreed
I’m not afraid of foul language, but the YSA chant is stupid and needs to stop.
by ABTsportsline on Jun 20, 2011 11:45 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
ECS
(For better or for worse) Most cheers tend to originate with ECS. I believe ECS doesn’t stop their singing for the YSA chant. Even if we had a replacement, what would be the best way to lead and propagate it to nearby fans?
Fan of: Cardinals, Blues, Sounders, Yellow Jackets, Wolverines, Rams, and Blazers.
by ColinMacLeod on Jun 20, 2011 1:59 PM PDT up reply actions
Not from what I can tell
my season tix have been in GA since 09. Everyone yells you suck.
by chrisperry1983 on Jun 20, 2011 2:22 PM PDT up reply actions
also in response to Colin
You are correct, if a song is being sung they don’t stop (officially) but many stop singing to yell it, then continue through the song.
by chrisperry1983 on Jun 20, 2011 2:22 PM PDT up reply actions
NYRB
I’ll make a point of watching out for that and joining in on Thursday. I’m in 125 and not to far away from ECS.
Is there a final shout after the keeper kicks the ball? “Nobody!” or something to that effect?
Fan of: Cardinals, Blues, Sounders, Yellow Jackets, Wolverines, Rams, and Blazers.
by ColinMacLeod on Jun 20, 2011 3:05 PM PDT up reply actions
Who are ya
I sit in Section 120 and from what I recall, I believe that it was only during the Dallas game that the ECS Capo’s tried using the ‘Who Are Ya’ chant when the Dallas goal keeper had goal kicks. I don’t remember hearing it during the Vancouver game.
I actually liked the attempt to use the ‘Who Are Ya’ chant. While ‘Who Are Ya’ is not exactly original, the YSA chant just irritates me. YSA is what you yell when you don’t put in the effort to do something better.
The only exception to this that I can think of is when local boy Tally Hall from Gig Harbor is in town for game. I’ve heard people yell You Suck As-Hall. Which at least shows a bit of creative effort. Plus it made me smile the first time I heard it.
From what I've heard, ECS does not like the YSA chant
The only time I’ve heard them endorse it was against Chicago this year, but it was because Sean Johnson started in net and they thought it’d be funny to yell, “You suck Johnson!”
by MicahRowe18 on Jun 20, 2011 7:10 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Plenty of ECS chants are classless
I am not a Supporter | I am not a Fan | I am a Sounder
Sounder At Heart
imo YSA is the single worst part of Sounder matches
it is base and not family friendly. something you would expect at a ’Hawks game.
i’m sure the FO isn’t impressed and in regards to a democratic approach i would like to hear the the justification of how it adds value to the experience of game day.
rather hear a OHHHHHHHHH SHANK IT!
just seems below us.
you'd have to find someone that leads YSA
I’ve never met one.
I am not a Supporter | I am not a Fan | I am a Sounder
Sounder At Heart
I agree the chant sucks
But please don’t kill the game atmosphere with “family friendly” non sense like the Mariners have.
by B-Lot tailgater on Jun 21, 2011 9:51 AM PDT up reply actions
the YSA chant sucks
As well as 99 percent of the chants out there. They are all basically the same with tiny variations in club names, player names, etc.
also YSA is better then the south american/some of the european versions
I mean if you are offended by the curse word at the end of YSA then you will be extremely offended by the alternative.
Its something that has been going on for years.
I yell
You Suck Jerkface…. it’s a nice alternative to YSA.
YSA sucks. Advertisers hate it. Reason enough to stop doing it IMO… ever notice how field sound goes down when an opposing keeper kicks the ball? Advertisers don’t want to be associated with a show that yells ASSHOLE.
Let the “bmvaughn is a corporate tool” bashing commence.
At least we don't shout "Puto" on every opposing goal kick
That chant can be heard in stadiums with larger Hispanic fan bases. I’m glad Keller didn’t play in the Chivas de Guadalajara friendly, because the loud “Puto” chants on every Boss goal kick in Qwest were cringe-worthy.
YSA
is actually my wife’s favorite part of watching soccer. Then again, she curses like a sailor. I like it but wouldn’t mind it changing for something better. Who are ya is not better or more fun for casual soccer fans like my wife. The replacement must be both fun for all fans and irritating for the opposing keeper. I doubt any keeper is bothered by YSA or who are ya. Something like the Pinto whistles would be great.
by Randy Meeker on Jun 20, 2011 8:46 PM PDT up reply actions
maybe I am just feeling lucky
but I wish Henry was playing. I feel like we will win either way so I would rather have a shot at seeing a great player play.
Thanks alot portland!
Scoreboards, not billboards.
Regular season, not pre-season.
Yeah, I wish Henry was playing, too.
I move away in a few weeks, and it would’ve been pretty cool to see a player like him in a competitive game in Seattle. Granted, I’m of the fairly masochistic “I want to beat every team at full strength” mindset, and without the other guys, even with Henry it wouldn’t have been the same.
Beyond that, personally I think smacking Portscum around is worthy more of an award than a booking.
I hear you
But right now, I just want some home cooking points.
same here
except im going to England for university in the fall so it would have been nice to see Henry play in person before I left.
Congrats and good luck!
I’m sure you’ll have an opportunity to see some awesome live footy while you’re there. :)
Nice!
I actually move two days before the Manchester friendly, which sort of bummed me out for a bit that I’d miss seeing them in Seattle. Then I realized, “Wait, with my new job I can actually travel over there and see them in a game that matters at Old Trafford” (not to mention see Copa Lib games and CONMEBOL qualifiers without leaving my city). So, really, I can’t complain too much.
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