Galaxy Is 6-0, but Little Else Perfect

One whistle. One yellow card. One red card. That’s what referees are provided with, nothing more. Common sense, good eyesight and a hankering for fair play are attributes they’re supposed to already have.

Unless, that is, they’re from Major League Soccer and in charge of the Los Angeles Galaxy’s 2-0 victory over the Kansas City Wiz in front of 25,231 at the Rose Bowl.

In that case, almost anything can happen. Just ask Lothar Osiander or Ron Newman, the respective coaches.

Talk about missed calls.

--Kansas City was awarded a penalty kick that should never have been given.

--Los Angeles goalkeeper Jorge Campos moved too soon while saving the kick and was not called.

--Kansas City scored what appeared to be a perfectly good game-tying goal, only to see it disallowed on a bad offside call.

Such things make the difference between MLS teams being 6-0 like the Galaxy or 3-4 like the Wiz.

But Osiander, able in victory to wear the white hat, was not going to complain.

“I make mistakes. The players make mistakes. Maybe even referees make mistakes,” he said.

“I think the referees are as good as the league is. There’s no problem. They’re OK. They have to grow with the league, just like everyone else. They’re doing the best job they know how.”

Newman’s body language on the sideline told a different story. He ranted. He raved. He threw his arms in the air. He kicked the water cups. He saw his team lose its fourth in a row. No happy camper he.

“We didn’t get the breaks,” he said afterward, “and the one break we did get the referee took it away from us.”

The play Newman was referring to occurred in the 64th minute, with the Galaxy leading, 1-0, courtesy of a perfect free-kick goal by Mauricio Cienfuegos in the 23rd minute.

A shot by Kansas City’s Mark Chung was deflected by Galaxy defender Manny Motajo and Vitalis “Digital” Takawira was on hand to put the ball in the net.

“We were appealing for a hand ball [call against Motajo],” Newman said. “Then, when Digital put it away, we didn’t want the hand ball. So we were all celebrating the goal. I’m convinced the referee [Frank Gorog] gave the goal. I’m sure he pointed for a goal.”

But the linesman’s flag was up on the far side of the field, and the goal was nullified.

“We have have no idea why,” Newman said. “The ball was hammered across the goal. It’s very difficult to be offside [on a play such as that].”

The Wiz also came up short on a non-call by Gorog earlier.

After Galaxy defender Dan Calichman and Kansas City midfielder Chung went down in heap in the goal area in the 26th minute, Gorog awarded the Wiz a penalty kick.

Precki tried to place the shot just inside the left post. Campos, guessing correctly, dived that way and palmed the ball onto the post, from which it rebounded to safety.

“I thought Campos moved [too early],” Newman said. “We knew he would and we told the referee that. It was a good save--I suppose all goalkeepers move a little bit, but he was way over.”

Campos had his best game ever in a Galaxy uniform, not only saving the penalty kick but making several other spectacular saves. Will he ever get the chance to play as a forward, as he wants to do?

“Not unless he breaks his arm,” Osiander said.

Eduardo Hurtado finished off Kansas City with his third goal in the last three games, this one with less than five minute to play. Cienfuegos got the assist, but the goal belonged to substitute John Garvey, who intercepted an errant clearance by Wiz goalkeeper Garth Lagerway and started the play.

“As long as he scores a goal a game, we’ll keep him,” Osiander said of Hurtado.

The quips come more easily in the winners’ locker room.

Over in Kansas City’s quarters “Digital” was still bemoaning his lost goal.

“He [the linesman who made the call] never lifted his flag when Chung took the shot. He never lifted it when the guy [Motajo] handled the ball. But when I scored, that’s when he did [signal offside].

“I asked him. He said I was offside before Chung took the shot. How could I have been? But when you argue with a linesman or the referee, you always end up a loser.”