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Whitecaps hope common sense overturns red card given team captain

Waston sent off in loss to Atlanta
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Vancouver Whitecaps defender Kendall Waston. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

VANCOUVER — Head coach Carl Robinson is hoping “common sense comes out” now that the Vancouver Whitecaps are appealing a red card given to defender Kendall Waston over the weekend.

Robinson said he spoke about the incident to Howard Webb, general manager of the Professional Referee Organization, which manages on-field officials for Major League Soccer.

“My blood was boiling,” Robinson said Tuesday after a Whitecaps training session. “I have calmed down a little bit now.

“I had a very positive conversation with Howard Webb. I told him what I thought about it. He gave me his thoughts, which was a very positive conversation.”

Waston was sent off in the 13th minute of the Whitecaps 4-1 loss on the road to Atlanta United Saturday. Referee Ismail Elfath ruled Vancouver’s six-foot-five captain had elbowed Atlanta’s Leandro Gonzalez Pirez in the head during a free kick as the pair battled in the box. Atlanta scored on the penalty kick.

There was no call on the initial contact. Elfath was contacted by the video assistant referee, then spent nearly five minutes watching a video review of the play before deciding to show Waston the red card.

Seattle Sounders forward Clint Dempsey was also shown a red card during a 3-0 loss to Dallas Sunday. Dempsey was sent off for violent conduct after swinging his arm and contacting Dallas midfielder Jacori Hayes. Referee Chris Penso was made aware of the incident by the video assistant referee.

MLS began using video replays last year. The video assistant referee (VAR) is a fifth member of the officiating crew located in a booth at each MLS stadium with access to all available broadcast replays.

“The VAR is there for a reason,” said Robinson. “It’s there to get these decisions right.

“I don’t think that was the case on the weekend.”

Adding another twist to the situation, there is a history between Elfath and the Whitecaps.

According to the website Away from the Numbers, Elfath has refereed 16 Whitecaps games. In those matches Vancouver has a 3-10-3 record, and Elfath has booked 23 Whitecaps and ejected three players.

In those same games, only one player from the Whitecaps opponents have been sent off.

Robinson was careful when asked about a possible bias by the referee.

“I’ve made my feelings known toward Howard,” he said. “It’s probably better off behind closed doors.

“Decisions are made and sometimes decisions are wrong, and I accept that. It’s football. The human element gets it wrong.”

Veteran striker Kei Kamara said the idea of the VAR was to make sure correct calls are made.

“Sometimes when it takes 12 minutes to make that call you know something is wrong,” said Kamara, who has spent 11 years in MLS.

There are some referees players don’t like.

“They are not our favourites,” said Kamara. “At the same time, we don’t want that relationship to be like that, and everything has to be called by VAR. We want them to make the decisions so we can continue playing the game.”

Robinson said he generally agrees with the concept of the VAR.

“It’s trying to get the right decision or trying not to get an obvious error,” he said.

“Whether they are doing it right or not I will leave for the experts and analysists to decide. I felt we were hard done by on the weekend with that situation.”

The Whitecaps’ appeal has been supported by the Major League Soccer Players Association.

An independent panel comprised of one member of US Soccer, one member of Canada Soccer, and one member of the Professional Referee Organization will oversee the appeal.

If the appeal is upheld, the red card will be rescinded, and the Whitecaps will retain their two appeals for 2018. If the appeal is rejected, Waston will serve a one-match suspension. Vancouver will then have one appeal remaining for 2018.

Waston has been called up by the Costa Rican national team for international friendlies against Scotland and Tunisia and would not have dressed for Saturday’s game against the LA Galaxy at BC Place Stadium.

If the red card is upheld he would be forced to sit out Vancouver’s March 31 away game against the Columbus Crew.

THE CANADIAN PRESS