Sounders HC Sigi Schmid On Red Cards: "I Don’t Think We Can Argue Them Or Complain"

There was plenty of discussion over decisions made by head referee Jorge Gonzalez during the 2-2 tie between the Philadelphia Union and Seattle Sounders on Saturday, with both sides questioning major calls in the second half.

The biggest controversy was a missed call on a hand ball in the box by Sounders left back Leo Gonzalez in the closing minute, but there were also three red cards that Gonzalez handed out in the last ten minutes. Sounders head coach Sigi Schmid told reporters, at a press conference yesterday, that his team has no reason to doubt the validity of the red cards that the referee had given during the game.

Schmid quotes, via Joshua Mayers, of the Seattle Times:

"The first red-card incident involved Sheanon Williams and Lamar. I thought it was very difficult for Lamar because I thought Sheanon was the aggressor in that situation. I think Lamar reacted defensively at first, and a lot of people, when a guy goes face to face with you, it's tough.

If you turn away and you hit him a little bit, he could go down and make it seem like you head-butted him or something. And Lamar pushed his face away, so when other people look at that, then they think Lamar is the aggressor there. At the end of the day, because they couldn't make a decision, they made the decision that usually gets made, which is to throw both of them out.

Yedlin was late in the tackle. I don't think he came from behind. I think it was more from the side, but he was late on the tackle and the referee decided to (give him) a red card. There were other tackles that I think were as severe in the game, but they either didn't connect or players jumped out of the way of them.

I don't think we can argue them or complain or say we got jobbed or anything like that; it's just going to happen in the game.

But I don't think it was a situation of us losing control either. I think DeAndre's a young player who needs control his emotions in that situation, and that's something that he's going to learn."

Union head coach John Hackworth was outraged by the referee's decision in the final moments that prevent Philadelphia from receiving a penalty kick, but didn't truly touch upon the cards himself.