Revolution’s Gil an MLS star not being treated like one by refs
FoXBoRoUgH — carles gil is in his sixth season with the Revolution, and mlS is still trying to get a handle on him. opposing teams are getting physical with gil, leaving it to referees to draw the line. And tough-tackling defenders continue getting the benefit of the doubt.
During a Revolution visit to cincinnati last year, Santiago Arias felled gil with a mistimed slide tackle, and, to the surprise of many, gil earned a caution for simulation from referee Jon Freemon. to Freemon’s credit, he realized his error, and the next time he worked a Revolution match, he apologized to gil. that hardly helped the Revolution, since the call meant a suspension for gil.
on Saturday, the Revolution ran into a similar situation during added time in a 1-1 tie with the chicago Fire. gil went down in a clash with mauricio Pineda. gil thought he had been fouled, but replacement referee Kyle Johnston allowed action to continue.
Pineda, who has been good for nearly a foul a game during his career, got off the hook. But at least Johnston, who worked the chattanooga wolves-Brockton Fc United extra-time US open cup match on a choppy high school field in tennessee less than 36 hours earlier, did not punish gil for embellishment.
But that was not the end of it. gil believed he won a throw-in against Fabian Herbers, making a similar move that earned a corner kick earlier against Kellyn Acosta. Both times, gil knocked the ball off an opponent; the ball then struck gil, who was standing out of bounds. Johnston was screened on the call, and awarded possession to the
Fire. that did it for gil, whose protest led to a caution.
Afterward, gil confronted officials in the center circle, as he did the previous week, when he pointed out a bruise on his upper thigh that could have warranted a red card. this time, gil was joined by several members of each team, plus Fire coach Frank Klopas, who had his own complaints.
“i think it’s a lack of respect,” Revolution coach caleb Porter said. “And especially when carles is in on a break for us to score what i would believe to be the game-winning goal. He’s one of the best players in the league and the guy [Pineda] just kills the play. At a minimum, it’s a foul. in my view, it’s a foul and a yellow card, because he’s killing the play, and the referee doesn’t even call a foul.
“i don’t know how that happens. it’s just shocking. then, they have the exact same play on the other sideline and the linesman raises his flag, and it’s actually a lot softer, that call, than the one on our side. it’s bizarre to me in this league that a guy like carles is viewed in that moment as diving, when all he’s trying to do is get out on a break and score the goal. i don’t think in other leagues that would ever happen; a player of his caliber, any player, should get that call. Any player, but especially him, and it’s a joke.
“that’s why everybody was so mad. when you have both coaches livid and all the players, 22 players, livid, you know that’s a poor game out of the official.”
Yes, this was a replacement refereeing crew, but it happens with full-time refs, and reflects a problem for mlS.
Before lionel messi arrived, gil might have been the league’s most technical competitor. gil is all about finesse, and when he has space, can be a human highlight show. But even if gil isn’t executing game-breaking moves, he’s making subtle maneuvers that create a barely perceptible advantage, even a millimeter or two, that can make a difference. many referees are not used to dealing with players who have such a fine touch, ones that have a second-nature relationship with the ball, and are thinking two or three moves ahead. Johnston had been placed in a difficult position, going from an essentially amateur competition to a First Division match. the problem is, experienced league referees have not proven equal to the task either.
in any case, gil is among the cleanest competitors in the league. At the time gil was suspended last season, he had committed only three fouls in 20 matches. in five seasons, gil has totaled 45 fouls (two in five games this year), yet has been cautioned 20 times (most for dissent); Pineda’s totals are 101 fouls and 24 cautions. You’d think good behavior alone might get the refs on gil’s side, even if they don’t appreciate his ability on the ball. So far, not so much.
Each incident should be considered on its own, but stats and actuarial charts would not favor Pineda for the challenge that upended gil Saturday. And it became another example of desperate, hard-charging defending getting the benefit of the doubt over creativity.
So, can gil or the Revolution do anything to improve the situation? So far, not so much.
Bruce Arena, the most successful coach in league history, made it clear he believed gil did not dive or feign injury. And, watching gil, it seems a point of pride for him to try to stay on his feet, no matter how heavy the contact. But regardless of how absurd calls appear, gil and his brother, Nacho, try to be pragmatic.
Asked about the refereeing Saturday, Nacho replied: “Cosas que pasan en el futbol” (“it’s part of the game”). You get the idea los hermanos gil know better than most the difference between the right and wrong call, and they are going to speak up immediately, but they don’t want to dwell on it.
meanwhile, a strong case for technical play is being made by messi at inter miami, thanks to support from his former Fc Barcelona teammates, who have been exposing a lack of sophisticated defending in mlS. And they are far past their prime. there is plenty of compete and physicality in the league. improvement will come only with an emphasis on precision and skill.