Sounders 2 at Real Salt Lake Open Cup loss: Highlights, stats

It wasn't just the first team game that had poor refereeing decisions and Seattle Sounders' temper tantrums. Ezra Hendrickson went full Lou Pinella on the referees in the Fourth Round US Open Cup loss to Real Salt Lake. S2 crashed out despite going up a goal in the first half.

Last night I claimed that one horrible call changed the game. That is less obvious today. Plata didn't touch the pass. It is clear that Damion Lowe was not deliberately passing back to Kerawala. The confusion around the play and subsequent indirect free kick call is not clarified by the following Vine. Rather than a clearly poor call, it is a call that is incorrect, but understandable as it would require a center referee and the AR to determine intent.

Now, for my mea culpa. According to this position paper from US Soccer that was the proper call. Unarguably the correct call in light of what occurred and how USSF has instructed its referees to rule.

Got it right. Ball never hits Joao #RSL https://t.co/Yqk7g9ygsk

— Tyler Gibbons (@tylerpgibbons) June 17, 2015

The rest of the highlights are at the bottom of this post.

MATCH SUMMARY

Seattle Sounders FC 2 |1-2| Real Salt Lake

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Venue: Rio Tinto Stadium, Sandy, Utah

SCORING SUMMARY

SEA - Sam Garza (Giuliano Frano) 45'+

RSL - Joao Plata (Olmes Garcia) 63'

RSL - Javier Morales (Joao Plata) 71'

MISCONDUCT SUMMARY

RSL - John Stertzer (caution) 52'
SEA - Vic Mansaray (caution) 70'
SEA - Amadou Sanyang (caution) 89'
SEA - Vic Mansaray (ejection) 90+6'

LINEUPS & STATS

Seattle Sounders FC 2 - Saif Kerawala, Giuliano Frano, Damion Lowe, Nick Miele, Aaron Long, Pablo Rossi (Diego Silvas 74'), Amadou Sanyang, Sérgio Mota (Tosh Samkange 90'), Sam Garza (Duncan McCormick 65'), Vic Mansaray, Andy Craven

Substitutes not used: RJ Noll, Kasey French

Real Salt Lake - Jeff Attinella, Boyd Okwuonu, Justen Glad (Phanuel Kavita 39'), Aaron Maund, Demar Phillips, John Stertzer, Wellington Paeckart (Javier Morales 58'), Joao Plata, Luis Gil, Olmes Garcia (Alvaro Saborio 84'), Devon Sandoval

Substitutes not used: Tony Beltran, Luke Mulholland, Sebastian Saucedo