I know a couple of Seattle fans were critical of my post, which is understandable. Fans defending themselves and their club is great to see. It’s good spirit. But Sigi and the club quickly walked back from his post-match comments, and while that could have been window dressing, it was still symptomatic of a fixation that’s gone beyond merely knowing a referee’s name.

While it’s true that many MLS fans have a referee of choice, it’s not true that most fans would take it to the heights some Seattle fans have. No other fans have come that close. Harkening back to the Schmid-Salazar monster post seems like a symptom.

I understand this comment may spark a new round of this discussion, but Seattle fans certainly deserve their say.

http://prosoccertalk.nbcsports.com/2012/10/20/seattle-sounders-ricardo-salazar-sigi-schmid/

I have no dog in the fight (SKC fan), but that was a clear red-card worthy take down from any angle (side, back, front). It wasn’t even close. The contact initated by Augusto (shoulder to shoulder) is completely legal. The arm pull and scissors-style leg take down is about the most obvious missed call I’ve ever seen in MLS. If you’re United, lick your wounds and come back fighting. If you’re Houston, thank your lucky stars and pray you get Salazar to get assigne dnext weekend!

Still a poor performance from the referee and it’ll make next Sunday even more interesting.

While I can agree with you on changing the way MLS refs playoff games — it is not the time to start in the middle of this playoff cycle. That game was very typical for the way MLS refs handle playoff games this year and the last many years since I’ve been following.

On the Hainault/Augusto tussle, you fail to mention that Hainault had position on Augusto and Augusto knocked Hainault down prompting Hainualt to drag him down. That play could have been called three ways: 1) foul on Augusto, 2) foul on Hainualt, and 3) play on, according to your view point and your biases. Play on was a more reasonable call than you or other commentators are allowing.

My respect for the head of refs went out the window when he claimed it should have been yellow because of a defender who was 10 yards from the play.

I hate the “let them play” argument, because it changes the game when you don’t make a call just as much (if not more) then when you do. To not give a red, or at least a yellow and a very dangerous free kick, too a HUGE advantage away from DC, and as a result gave Houston an unfair advantage. This is the kind of MLS game that ticks me off – you let too much go without a booking and we don’t get the skill … just the physical play.