The Professional Referee Organization announced on Wednesday that the San Jose Earthquakes' first goal in their 2-1 win at the Vancouver Whitecaps last Friday should not have counted.
In an article posted to their website on Wednesday, PRO training and development manager Paul Rejer said that Quincy Amarikwa’s 15th minute goal shouldn’t have counted, as midfielder Fatai Alashe illegally played the ball out of Vancouver goalkeeper David Ousted’s hands while he was in control of the ball.
Midfielder Anibal Godoy started the play, swinging in a corner kick that Amarikwa headed on frame. Ousted went low to make the save, trapping the ball between his hands and the ground. Rejer wrote that, according to goal line technology developers Hawk-Eye, the ball had not yet crossed the goal line. According to Rejer, that didn't happen until Alashe played the ball while it was in Ousted's hands, pushing it over the line and giving San Jose the early 1-0 lead.
According to the laws of the game, “a goalkeeper is considered to be in control of the ball while the ball is between his hands or between his hand and any surface.” Rejer wrote that Ousted had the ball between his hands and the ground when Alashe knocked it over the line, meaning he should’ve been considered in control of the ball and Alashe should’ve been called for his action.
San Jose went on to add a second goal in the 60th minute before Vancouver scored a late consolation goal in the 94th. The result had big implications in the Western Conference, as it allowed the Earthquakes to pass Vancouver for seventh place, moving the Quakes within one point of Portland for the sixth and final playoff spot.
Rejer also addressed Real Salt Lake’s controversial goal in their 2-1 loss at the Seattle Sounders on Sunday, writing that Joao Plata's strike was correctly allowed.
RSL forward Yura Movsisyan sparked debate when he intercepted a throw from Seattle goalkeeper Stefan Frei, then found Joao Plata for a finish into an empty net. Rejer wrote that Movsisyan did not prevent Frei from throwing the ball, but intercepted the toss immediately after it left the Swiss goalkeeper’s hands, therefore making the play legal.
