Some MLS managers speak cryptically when it comes to offering their criticism of referees and their work, hoping to avoid potential league sanctions.
Not Peter Vermes. And not on Saturday.
The Sporting Kansas City manager had some choice words for referee Jorge Gonzalez and his team of officials following Saturday night's 2-1 away loss to Colorado.
“Did we deserve more out of this game? Yes,” Vermes told reporters in a conference call. “The other team didn't beat us. What beat us was the guys who are supposed to be the impartial guys reffing the game. They are the ones that beat us, for the second week in a row.”
Last Saturday, in a 3-2 away loss to Columbus, replays showed Kei Kamara was well offside on the sequence that led to the Crew's first goal – again, after Sporting had gone up 1-0. This time out, Vermes was especially upset about the lack of a call from Gonzalez on an apparent handball by the Rapids' Vicente Sanchez shortly before Maynor Figueroa's 53rd-minute equalizer for the Rapids.
Sanchez went down from behind in the midfield, after contact from left back Seth Sinovic. He appeared to land on the ball with his hands, but no whistle blew for either a foul on Sinovic or a handball on Sanchez. Seconds later Sanchez assisted on Figueroa's far-post goal from a tight angle.
“The guy goes down and grabs the ball with his hands, right in front of the AR1, the fourth official, and the center referee,” Vermes said, “and the handball's not called. So they run in with the ball, because the guy gets a second bite of the apple, and he goes in and he gets a chance to score when everybody knows it's a handball on the field. Everyone.”
Gonzalez was also the referee for Sporting's 1-1 home draw against Houston on Aug. 1, when he elected not to call a late handball in the penalty area against the Dynamo's Luis Garrido. He gave conflicting explanations for his decision, apparently telling players and coaches that the ball had struck Garrido's hip, but writing in response to a pool reporter's question that Garrido's arm was in a natural playing position when it contacted the ball.
- Get more Sporting news at SportingKC.com
Vermes also referenced his club's 3-1 away loss at FC Dallas in the second match of the season, where replays showed multiple players offside on the home side's first goal, and said his frustration has been growing through the season.
“It is not us getting beat,” he said. “It is other teams getting life by getting goals that they shouldn't be allowed. That's the issue. That's the issue. My team's effort was fantastic, for everything that we've been going through. My team's effort was fantastic in the game.”
Steve Brisendine covers Sporting Kansas City for MLSsoccer.com.
