MLS - March 22 - Miami (YS)

[Gotham Gator]

I don't think Kevin is tall enough to have contested the ball on the third goal even with perfect positioning. The bigger error was on whoever's job it was to close down the player that sent in the cross.

True, but at least getting better positioning against the Miami attacker to make the header more difficult

sometimes all you need is a nudge to throw a player off. if he was there, he could have made it difficult in some manner without committing a foul. a hip check always worked for me against taller players who i knew would out jump me. it throws them off balance and it's "incidental contact" when done correctly

jansen said he talked to kevin about being in a better position to do just that. he wasn't where he needed to be and i think that's just lack of experience and maybe lack of coaching for a converted forward.

Also, O’Toole could have just grabbed him around the neck and pulled him down at the far post.

 

[mgarbowski]

2. Messi with a lighthearted kick right into Maxi that's called a yellow card, moving up the ball, before his free kick that led to a goal

I didn't see this during the match because a bunch of plastics blocked my view, so I only saw it because I looked for it after this comment.

I'm of 2 minds about it. It's a really clever yet BS play by Messi. I'd like to think it's beneath him, but the truth is Michael Jordan. Max Verstappen and Tom Brady would all pull crap like this for any minor advantage.

Messi wanted a closer free kick, and Maxi obliged him by walking a few yards in front of him. So Messi made a perfectly legal quick start and kicked the ball directly into Maxi, which was technically obstruction and reset the free kick a few yards closer. It should not have been a yellow. Maxi in no way intentionally delayed play. He was oblivious and guilty of no more than assuming there would be a fully settled free kick play. But apart from that it was by the book. I don't like that sort of "cleverness," but that's more of a personal ethos than a rule or general norm violation.