Caleb Porter Sounds Off On Officiating

"When you have both coaches livid and all the players, 22 players, livid, you know that's a poor game out of the official.”

Photo By ©J. Alexander Dolan

While not wanting to use them as an excuse, New England Revolution head coach Caleb Porter made it clear that he wasn’t happy with the performance of the officials in Saturday’s match.

There were numerous flashpoints throughout the match (predominately in the second half). After New England appeared to be fouled in the final third, no whistle was blown but minutes later a similar challenge was called a foul in the Chicago Fire’s favor. The match official also clearly lost control of the match as there was a scuffle towards the final whistle.

Porter didn’t mince words when asked about the officiating after the match by Frank Dell’Apa of The Boston Globe.

“I know it's always tough when coaches talk about referees, because then we come off as the whiner and excuses,” Porter replied. “So, it's tough for me to answer that objectively without coming off that way. But for me, when I look at the five games, it has not been good enough, and we haven't received one big call, and we've had a lot of calls against us. I think today was another day like that. I'm a bit tired of it, to be honest with you. We've had penalties. We've had red cards. We've had penalties that maybe we should get. We've had offsides that maybe we should get or been given for the other team.

“I think it's a lack of respect, and especially when Carles [Gil] is in on a break for us to score what I would believe to be the game-winning goal,” Porter continued. “He’s one of the best players in the league and the guy 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.”

Porter continued lamenting the officiating when asked by MassLive about the communication that he has with officials.

“There’s no communication,” Porter said. “They don’t let us talk to (the referees). When we do, we get fined or get warned or reprimanded. We can’t say anything to them, I’ll probably get fined for even mentioning it right now. But I don’t care because I got to protect my team and something needs to be done about it. Again, I’m not making excuses... but that play when (Carles Gil was) in on goal, how is that not a foul? (Chicago’s) player is trying to foul actually, to just stop the play, to stop a goal and here we are, it’s off to the races the other way. Be nice to get this sorted (because) no one has said anything to us.”

That final sentence is seemingly referring to the fact that MLS is using replacement refs. Glenn Crooks reported that a tentative agreement which could see qualified officials returning to MLS.

Those officials will be welcomed back with open arms as the first five MLS games have been brutal to watch in regards to the officiating. But the Revs didn’t lose on Saturday because of the officials. They failed to convert chances and were sloppy in the back.

But Porter got his thoughts on the officials off his chest. Revs fans might start a GoFundMe for the head coach as he is likely to be fined for expressing the same frustration that fans across MLS are feeling right now.