Poor Officiating Mars Revs v RSL Game

Once again a MLS was marred by poor officiating, as the New England Revolution get a point in Real Salt Lake.

Who knows how this game would have turned out if RSL defender Nat Borchers had not been sent-off inside the first four minutes for a foul on Feilhaber in the box. Watch it on the video below. It is simply a terrible call by Referee Yader Reyes. Rajko Lekic put the penalty kick away with ease, and when Chris Tierney added a second goal in the 16th minute with a low, hard shot off a free kick that beat goalkeeper Nick Rimando you had to think that the Revs were going to pull a major upset.

But Real Salt Lake got back into the game in the 24th minute, as a free kick from midfielder Andy Williams caromed off the post before Will Johnson coolly tapped in the rebound to cut the lead to 2-1.

Then came the second questionable penalty call of the game when Revolution defender Kevin Alston was alleged to have handled the ball in the box on an RSL cross. Álvaro Saborío promptly buried the ensuing penalty kick for this third goal in two games and we were all tied up.

A Shalrie Joseph header five minutes later put the Revs back in front, but a Ryan Cochrane red card leveled the playing field, and Real Salt Lake took advantage by dismantling New England‘s defense as Alvaro Saborio laid off a perfect pass to Espindola for the game-tying goal.

Steve Nicol has to be upset that the Revs twice threw away leads in Salt Lake. To be two goals up inside 15 minutes and have a man advantage, you should not end up settling fro a draw. This was much more a case of two points dropped rather than one point gained for New England.

Here are the highlights: