Classless in Columbus

Columbus Crew supporters throw beer cans at Portland Timbers players during MLS Cup Final

Columbus Crew supporters hurled more than a dozen cans onto the field after Portland Timbers winger Rodney Wallace scored in the seventh minute of Sunday's MLS Cup Final.

The poor sportsmanship by Crew fans came as the Timbers players were attempting to celebrate the goal near the corner flag. The players had to quickly run back to midfield to avoid getting hit by the cans.

Stadium staff quickly cleaned up the cans and play continued. The stadium announcer then reminded the crowd that throwing items onto the field could lead to ejection. ...

See the whole story here, courtesy of Oregonlive.com.

Kicking Back Comments: I am incredibly disappointed by the fan(atic) reaction to pelt players with beer cans and bottles. I am even more disappointed by the stadium reaction to quietly pick up the discarded cans and bottles and announce to not do it again or we may eject you. I am most disappointed by MLS to not come out and have these folks arrested or at the very least ejected and required to take the "MLS Fan Conduct Class."

Let's face it, this is a way for MLS (among others) to jam up spectators that go way too far in their actions during a game ... like throwing beer bottles into the field. For the non-trival sum of $250, you have to take this on line course to get your "stadium privileges" back. Sounds like a no brainer.

It of course is largely symbolic and means almost nothing as from the web site itself "These are educational courses only. They are not a substitute for medical or psychological advice or counseling. They are not a replacement or substitute for in or out patient treatment for alcohol or substance abuse."

Even with available remedies and a truly no-brainer solution to the serious threat Crew fan(atics) placed on the MLS Cup this year, MLS is seemingly going to do nothing. Not even a mention from Simon Borg in his final episode of Instant Replay this year.

Fortunately, MLS treats its own with substance issues much better. Frankly, the way a league should. I would just like to see this responsibility extend to the safety of the players and referees involved.

FIFA Should Have Stayed At a Holiday Inn Express Last Night

FIFA Corruption: Top Officials Arrested in Pre-Dawn Raid at Zurich Hotel

ZURICH — Swiss authorities began a new series of pre-dawn arrests Thursday in the broad investigation, led by United States officials, into corruption in international soccer. Sixteen people were expected to be charged by day’s end, law enforcement officials said, nearly doubling the size of an already huge case that has upended FIFA, soccer’s multibillion-dollar governing body.

Some of the arrests took place at the same luxury hotel where other FIFA officials were arrested in May. Swiss police entered the hotel, the Baur au Lac, through a side door at 6 a.m. local time. ...

See the whole article here, courtesy of the NYT.

Kicking Back Comments: Listen, the Baur au Lac looks like a great place, but the Sheraton Zürich Neues Schloss Hotel is right down the street and frankly, less full of police looking to drag you off in the pre-dawn hours.

I do still laugh at the Holiday Inn Express commercials though ... here is one of my favorites.

Trust me folks, we will get to the despicable behavior of Columbus fans in yesterdays MLS Cup match ... I am just seeing what the MLS front office says before I comment fully.

And to complete the MLS trinity ...

... I offer the 2015 refereeing crew for the MLS final.

MLS Cup 2015: PRO announce refereeing crew for final

The 2015 MLS Cup will see Columbus Crew and Portland Timbers go head-to-head at MAPFRE Stadium, and PRO's Jair Marrufo will referee the game after the Organization named him as the center official for Sunday's showdown (4pm EDT).

Marrufo will be assisted at a sold-out stadium by Peter Manikowski (AR1) and Corey Parker (AR2). Chris Penso will be on fourth official duties, while James Conlee is the fifth official.

PRO General Manager Peter Walton told proreferees.com: "We have witnessed some very good officiating performances both in the regular season and throughout these Playoff games. ...

See the whole article here, courtesy of PRO.

Kicking Back Comments: There is a good follow up on PRO here focusing on Jair. While named MLS referee of the year in 2008, he has not been without his controversy throughout his career in MLS. Then again, what referee doesn't that has been around long enough. He also has some tremendous shoes to fill from his father, Antonio, FIFA referee from Mexico.

I am happy to see him with this match and wish he and his entire crew a great game!  

George Gansner, FIFA AR Extradonare, Announces Retirement

George Gansner turns attentions to family after announcing retirement

PRO assistant referee George Gansner says family will fill the officiating void when he retires at the end of the current season.

The 44-year-old has been assigned the Eastern Conference Championship first leg of the MLS Cup Playoffs, but will wave goodbye to the flag after a successful 19-year career at the conclusion of 2015.

Read more: 2015 MLS Cup Playoffs - Conference Championship first leg assignments

His time as an official includes such honors as being assigned to the 2005 MLS All-Star game and the 2007 U.S. Open Cup Final, as well as FIFA World Cup and Olympic Games qualifiers.

Gansner, who made his professional debut as an AR in 1999, is now looking forward to spending his spare time in the company of his loved ones.

“The bottom line on my decision to retire is simple – my family,” he told proreferees.com. ...

See the whole story here, courtesy of PRO.

Kicking Back Comments: George is a class act that I have had the pleasure to work with several times and have always find him to be a professionals' professional ... and a hell of a nice guy honestly. He always has a kind word and a smile and frankly helped me to dig a bit deeper with his inspirational words often.

I wish him well in the next part of his refereeing career.

Ever wanted to know what it would be like ...

Ethan Steinman delighted after release of behind the scenes film with PRO

Ethan Steinman of Daltonic Films was the man responsible for the production of the recently-published behind the scenes film with PRO, and we've caught up with him to discuss the making of the short documentary.

In July, Ethan and his crew were at a training camp in Park City, Utah, before following Allen Chapman and his colleagues at Rio Tinto Stadium for Sporting Kansas City's match at Real Salt Lake in MLS. Referee Alan Kelly was also the focus of a gameday, when he took charge of Seattle Sounders and Portland Timbers derby at CenturyLink Field. ... 

See the whole story and amazing video here, courtesy of PRO. 

Kicking Back Comments: This is as real as it gets folks ... well worth the 12 minutes.

Dear FIFA Sponsors: Are You Listening Now???!!!

Five years of human rights failure shames FIFA and Qatar

Labor exploitation remains rampant in Qatar as the authorities fail to deliver significant reforms, Amnesty International said today before the fifth anniversary of Qatar winning the right to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Despite massive public exposure of the appalling conditions faced by most migrant construction workers, the Qatari authorities have done almost nothing effective to end chronic labor exploitation.

“Too little has been done to address rampant migrant labor abuse. Qatar’s persistent labor reform delays are a recipe for human rights disaster,” said Mustafa Qadri, Gulf Migrant Rights Researcher at Amnesty International. ...

See the whole press release here, courtesy of Amnesty International.

Kicking Back Comments: Straight on the heels of the nonsense from the sponsors being "outraged" and wanting "assurances" we start to see not much has changed in Qatar. Companies like ADIDAS are (or feign) outrage if child labor stitches their balls ... yet are fine as migrant workers die to build the stadiums they will profit from in 2022. I fail to see the difference.

Yawn

Fifa sponsors including Coca-Cola demand reform overview

Five sponsors of football's world governing body Fifa have written to its executive committee to demand "independent oversight" of reforms.

Fifa has been engulfed by allegations of corruption since US authorities indicted 14 officials this summer.

The letter was sent from Adidas, McDonald's, Coca-Cola, Visa and the Budweiser brewer Anheuser-Busch. ...

See the whole story here, courtesy of the BBC.

Kicking Back Comments: I am again reminded of one of my personal mantras, facta non verba, or deeds not words.

So far all we have seen from FIFA, which I expect at this point, is words. By now I would have expected more from the sponsors, even one. Clearly I was misguided in my thinking as sponsors like Coca-Cola are clearly apathetic to what FIFA is doing in places like Qatar, to name one.

It is truly all about the money folks and even the one entity (aside from UEFA) that can make a big impact on the World's Game, clearly wants none of it.

Scott Sterling or Sterling Archer?

I have recently come across "Scott Sterling" as he is a particularly useful character to describe a point of emphasis for US Soccer in 2016, Potential Serious Injury (PSI). While the video is intended to do so in a light hearted way (and is morbidly humorous), the message is deadly serious.

... and we have Archer, who I also very much enjoy, whose message is anything but serious.

Just a little fun to start the holiday season off right.

Thank You Readers of Kicking Back

Image Credit: intra.keliix.com

Friends and Readers of Kicking Back,

Please accept my heartfelt thanks for your readership over these last five(!) years.

Without you, Kicking Back would have remained little more than a unnourished thought. Thank you for turning it into so much more.

As we begin the holiday season, please take a moment to reflect on the thinks that you are thankful for and pay it forward.

Thanks for reading,
PK

And the winner is ...

Alan Kelly named MLS Referee of the Year; Corey Parker voted Assistant Referee of the Year

Major League Soccer announced on Monday that Alan Kelly has been selected the 2015 MLS Referee of the Year, while Corey Parker has been named Assistant Referee of the Year.

Kelly, in his second season as an MLS referee, was the center official for 21 MLS regular season matches in 2015, which was second most among PRO referees. He brought an impressive resumé to his current position: A native of Ireland, Kelly moved through the ranks in his home country, notably winning the inaugural Players’ Football Association of Ireland’s Referee of the Year Award in 2006 (and four subsequent ones). He eventually served as a UEFA official, where he was a referee for Champions League and World Cup qualifiers, among other competitions. ...

See the whole story here, courtesy of MLS.

Kicking Back Comments: Congratulations to Alan and Corey, it is an honor well deserved.

What is your safety plan?

Stade de France referee had 'no idea' what was happening as attacks rocked Paris 

Referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz spoke of the ‘troubling, tough’ time in Paris after he blew the final whistle at the Stade de France.

‘We had no idea about what was going on until after the game had ended,’ the Spanish official, 38, told AS when reflecting on events unfolding around Friday’s game between France and Germany.

‘We have all been through some very difficult moments, moments of great uncertainty because, at first, we were told that we were not allowed to leave the stadium, but now things are a little calmer. This is a very troubling, tough moment and I don’t really feel like speaking right now. ...

See the whole story here, courtesy of Mail Online.

Kicking Back Comments: Working big stadiums people sometimes think that everything is "taken care of." Nothing can be further from the truth in some cases. There have been situations where the refereeing team needed to be evacuated from a venue in a hurry at the old Foxboro Stadium, and the security manager for the venue (who worked NFL games) was clearly an expert. He had a plan and we were out and escorted by State Police in less than 5 minuets ... and escorted to the highway in 15 minutes.

There have also been venues where I have asked about the safety of the refereeing team and was met with a summer intern and a blank stare. Yes, this was at a professional match as well.

Ultimately the safety of the refereeing team is up to the refereeing team. While many venues may have a comprehensive plan in place, no one can know about all scenarios.

A regular instruction for my teams was if something went really bad, like a riot with a field invasion, lose your refereeing shirt, roll down your socks, start cheering with whoever is yelling the most, and meet at location X.

You may laugh ... I used it once.

Do you have a plan next time out?

Alright FIFA ... WTF are you doing about this one?

Turkish soccer fans chant "Allahu Akbar" during Paris attacks remembrance

Turkey and Greece, neighbors that have been often vicious geopolitical rivals for centuries, have attempted in recent years to reconcile their differences, a move that's been given heightened importance during the growing migrant crisis.

Their soccer teams hadn't played each other in eight years, so Tuesday's friendly match in Istanbul presented an opportunity for a power symbolic display of peace and reconciliation. ...

See the whole article here, courtesy of CBS News.

Kicking Back Comments: Here is another opportunity for FIFA to show some leadership. Can we go beyond signs of support (which have their place) and move to actions in the face of such behavior?

FIFA is rightly willing to shutter stadiums for activities they determine racist. How oh how can this be condoned?

FIFA ... grow a set and take some action. 

So Much For "Friendly"

Germany cancels soccer match, citing bomb threat

PARIS — Europe faced a new terror threat Tuesday, four days after devastating Islamic State attacks in Paris, when German officials evacuated a soccer stadium over an apparent plan to set off a powerful bomb.

Authorities in Hanover, Germany, abruptly called off a friendly soccer match between Germany and the Netherlands that Chancellor Angela Merkel had planned to attend to show resolve against terrorism and support for the victims of the Nov. 13 attacks that killed at least 129 people in Paris. One target of Friday’s attacks was a crowded soccer match at a stadium north of Paris. ...

See the whole story here, courtesy of the Washington Post.

Kicking Back Comments: I hate to say that this may be the norm for a while in Europe ... and only a matter of time before it transitions to here in the US.

If you are a referee working such a match ... what is your exfil plan? What is the plan for the teams?

Know before the first whistle as if something happens like it did in France, things will come unglued quickly.

What type of referee are you?

Many times in my playing, refereeing, and assessor career, I have experienced and witnessed several types of referees with very varied motivations. To put these types into groups at times has been hard, but further reflection from my "super nerdy" youth (as opposed to my "hyper nerdy" professional life) allowed me to use my formally epic Dungeons and Dragons skills to describe these character traits within (9) groups. These represent "character alignments" that one may find in life, or for those like me who spent time avoiding life, playing D&D.

A nice synopsis can be found at this link, where I also found the chart below.

Honestly I have seen incarnates or at least shades of each (some stronger than others) in real live referees around the world. It put me down the path of wondering what type of referee I was ...

While I came up with an answer, it took some real soul searching to really determine.

So I ask, what type of referee are you?

Have you ever done anything against that characteristic (and be honest)?

Are you that way inside the field as well as outside?

As you start to understand a person's motivations, you can start to understand the person a bit better. I would opine players fall into this category too ... and I personally can fill in players from my experience in every single box.

Next time out ... what do you see ... and how does that align with your own character?

Are there management techniques to be had for each personality type, motivations to understand?

Image Credit: The Nickel Screen

The Silent Killer

Suspended FIFA President Sepp Blatter Recovering in Hospital From 'Body Breakdown'

Outgoing FIFA President Sepp Blatter is recovering this week after being hospitalized in Switzerland for what has been called a stress-related "body breakdown" and a "small emotional breakdown" in several media reports.

The embattled Blatter, 79, was provisionally suspended last month from his post amid the ongoing corruption scandal involving FIFA, the world's governing body of soccer. He is expected to make a full recovery and be released from the hospital early next week, according to the BBC. ...

See the whole story here, courtesy of Newsweek.

Kicking Back Comments: Frankly I am surprised it took this long as the amount of strain he must be under I have to believe is nothing short of suffocating.

I for one hope he makes a full and complete recovery ... and never comes near FIFA again.

I Know Nuzzing ...

U.S. Soccer boss Sunil Gulati addresses range of issues

A few hours before the U.S. World Cup qualifying opener in St. Louis on Friday, U.S. Soccer Federation President Sunil Gulati met with a group of reporters to discuss Jurgen Klinsmann, the national team, the broader program, FIFA and other matters, including everyone’s favorite, promotion and relegation.

Excerpts …

See the full article here, courtesy of the Washington Post.

Kicking Back Comments: This was a very interesting article and it spoke on quite a few topics. One thing that did catch my attention was that President Gulati was kept from Congress and was very careful about his answers regarding FIFA and others caught in corruption issues. Almost too careful.

I hope truly he does not find himself in those crosshairs.

Terrifying Video From FRA v. GER - State de France

Upgrade Kudos

Congratulations to the following Massachusetts referees for their significant accomplishments to upgrade! May their success continue well into the future.

Jeff Alcoforado, Ayer, Grade 6

Risto Gjeorgiev, Dorchester, Grade 7

Eversley Teddy Linley, Roxbury, Grade 7

Casey Frankfort, Framingham, Grade 7

US Soccer Showing Potential Implementation of Concussion Settlement Terms

Photo Courtesy of The Boston Globe

/sarcasm

I did have to laugh a little bit in looking back at this picture and article from my post in July. For any offended by my not taking the topic seriously enough, please note the sarcasm tag is now turned off.

Concussions are serious things and I do take them seriously. What is being proposed beyond regular education and evaluation however, in my opinion is a reaction to a lawsuit, not a solution.

I continue to find it interesting how folks are reacting to this too, even comments on the US Soccer web site with the press release are largely truly negative.

This is a serious topic that needs a serious answer, unfortunately the answer provided in the settlement would on the surface not seem to fully address the practical enforcability or acknowledge some of the actual science behind such injury and its occurrence rates for soccer players.

Stand by to see how US Soccer will attempt to enforce same.

Thank You Veterans

Image courtesy of sneakertherapy.wordpress.com