The Definitive Angle: MLS Week 15

June 24, 2022June 25, 2022 PRO media The Definitive Angle min read

The Definitive Angle is PRO’s analysis of the week’s Video Review use in MLS.

Week 15 overview
There were two Video Reviews during Week 15.

ORL vs HOU: Review for penalty kick (in or out) – given

What Happened: A penalty kick was awarded to Orlando City when the outstretched left arm of Zeca (HOU), which was making himself unnaturally bigger, blocked the ball being crossed into the Houston Dynamo penalty area by João Moutinho (ORL).

In real-time, the referee judged that the offense had occurred inside the penalty area and awarded a penalty kick. However, when the VAR checked the footage of the incident, he quickly saw that the handling offense clearly occurred outside the penalty area.

As such, he recommended a Video Review and after seeing the images for himself at the RRA, the referee changed his penalty kick decision to a direct freekick outside the penalty area.

On-field decision: Penalty kick.
Type of review: No penalty – direct freekick.
Final decision after review: Direct freekick.
Length of review: 1:15.

PRO’s Opinion: This was a very efficient and effective use of the Video Review system to rectify a clear and obvious error, which was a poor on-field call. The handball offense was clear and was correctly penalized.

NSH vs SKC: Review for penalty kick (offside in APP) – not given

What Happened: A penalty kick was awarded to Nashville when Alex Muyl (NSH) was fouled by Logan Ndenbe (SKC) in the Sporting Kansas City penalty area. As always, the VAR checked footage of the incident, including the APP prior to the penalty kick decision.

On doing so, he saw that Muyl had committed an offside offense when receiving the ball during the APP and, as such, a Video Review was recommended. The referee changed his penalty kick decision and replaced it with an indirect freekick to Sporting Kansas City for offside.

On-field decision: Penalty kick.
Type of review: Offside
Final decision after review: Offside.
Length of review: 3:20.

PRO’s Opinion: This was a good use of the Video Review system to rectify a clear and obvious error in a very important match situation. Without an offside offense in the APP, the penalty kick decision would have been correct. The referee correctly restarted the game with an indirect freekick.