The Definitive Angle: MLS Week 31
The Definitive Angle is PRO’s analysis of the week’s Video Review use in MLS.
Week 31 overview
There were two Video Reviews during Week 31.
DAL vs LAFC: Review for penalty kick (foul challenge) – not given
What Happened: Los Angeles FC appealed for a penalty kick when Raheem Edwards (LAFC) went down in the FC Dallas penalty area under challenge from Matt Hedges (DAL). The on-field officials did not identify an offense in real-time and allowed play to continue.
The VAR saw that Edwards was the only player to have played the ball, using his left foot to hook it past Hedges, who had raised his right foot towards the ball but failed to make contact with it, instead he made contact on Edwards’ left foot after Edwards had played the ball.
On-field decision: Play on.
Type of review: Penalty kick.
Final decision after review: Penalty kick.
Length of review: 1:54.
PRO’s Opinion: The amount of contact from Hedges on Edwards was somewhat minimal so this incident was at the lower end of the clear and obvious scale. However, there is no doubt that Hedges failed to make contact on the ball but did make clear contact on Edwards. As such, this was an appropriate use of Video Review.
NSH vs CLB: Review for red card (serious foul play) – given
What Happened: A red card was issued to Luke Haakenson (NSH) for what the referee deemed, in real-time, to be a serious foul play challenge. The referee judged the contact from Haakenson’s left foot to have made contact, with studs exposed, on the left leg of Steven Moreira (CLB) above the foot, after Moreira had played the ball away and Haakenson had arrived late.
The VAR saw that while Haakenson’s left foot had made contact on the left foot of Moreira, there was no high contact and the force used was relatively low, and certainly not excessive.
The referee concurred with the VAR and rescinded his red card decision. A yellow card was instead issued for a reckless foul challenge.
On-field decision: Red card (serious foul play).
Type of review: No red card.
Final decision after review: Yellow card (reckless foul challenge).
Length of review: 1:30.
PRO’s Opinion: This was a good, efficient use of the Video Review system to rectify a clear and obvious error.