ORLANDO, Fla. – Orlando City and FC Dallas split the points on Saturday, but each felt that things could have potentially gone differently if not for no-calls.
Orlando City and FC Dallas played to a scoreless draw on Saturday afternoon, and both clubs left the match wishing a controversial call would have gone their way. In the 74th minute, Dallas’ Kellyn Acosta’s shot was blocked by what looked to be Orlando’s Seb Hines’ left arm in the penalty area.That was followed by another controversial play in the 94th minute, when Richie Laryea’s effort at goal was blocked by Walker Zimmerman and then appeared to bounce off Matt Hedges’ right arm.
On both occasions, there were no calls nor Video Review.
“The referee saw the plays in question and determined that it wasn’t a deliberate hand ball,” said head referee Armando Villarreal in a written statement, when asked by a pool reporter about why he hadn't blown his whistle on both plays.
FC Dallas head coach Oscar Pareja didn’t agree, saying he saw the replay of Acosta's shot and thought the opposite.
“I reviewed the video. That is a handball,” said Pareja. “Now, am I going to question the integrity of the referee? No. Am I going to question the integrity of the people who are managing the system? No. It was a handball. I saw a handball in the review.
“Now, this time we didn’t get the benefit of it, and we’re going to move with professionalism and with respect because those decisions are made by people who know and people who had been assigned to do that job.”
Lions head coach Jason Kreis said he was frustrated by the inconsistency of calls on handballs in the penalty area.
“Sometimes I feel for all of us that watch the game and get frustrated by that particular call, because 50 percent of the time it’s called a handball and the other 50 percent it’s not,” said Kreis. “There really doesn’t seem to be much line of reason. We throw around words like 'deliberate' and 'natural position' and this other stuff. I would love to see that interpretation of that rule and that rule cleared up.”
Despite the result, Pareja was optimistic about Dallas’ three remaining games of the season, and thinks the club will clinch a playoff spot.
“Three finals more,” said Pareja. “It was a difficult stretch that we had, and it seems like the team is ready with the character and the belief. We’re just moving on again. I see the energy that is needed to face every single game, so in that part I’m very optimistic. It seems like things are turning in our way again because we are doing that little extra stuff that’s needed in these games.”
