LA Galaxy head coach and sporting director Greg Vanney voiced his frustration about what he believed was a missed handball in the 94th minute of his team’s 2-1 home defeat to Seattle Sounders FC Saturday at Dignity Health Sports Park.
In the play in question, midfielder Mark Delgado attempted to cross the ball in front of goal from the right side of the 18-yard box. The ball deflected off Sounders left back Nouhou, appearing to make contact with the defender’s elbow as he tucked his arms behind his back.
Delgado and fellow Galaxy players immediately raised their hands to call for a handball, but referee Allen Chapman didn’t point to the spot and a potential equalizing penalty kick deep in second-half stoppage time didn’t materialize. LA had clawed a goal back via homegrown defender Jalen Neal after going down 2-0 in the first half, then hoped the Delgado-Nouhou instance was a lifeline.
It led to a frustrated Vanney not just complaining about that incident, but two others early in the 2023 season that he said didn’t go the Galaxy's way – including a controversial call against Dejan Joveljić in Matchday 4 that deprived them of a win over Vancouver Whitecaps FC.
And he stood at the podium during his press conference to demonstrate what he believes is, and what is not, a handball.
"Three games in a row, these guys don’t know what handball is. It’s getting to be obscene," Vanney said. "Honestly, it’s ridiculous. And the game is about margins. They have VAR. They’re the only entity in the entire game that gets a 'redo.' None of us else get a redo. They get a redo. And it's three times they can’t get it right. That’s their job. That’s their job."
Results have been tough to come by for the Galaxy (0W-2L-3D), who are 12th in the Western Conference with three points from five matches. They are one of three teams still winless after Matchday 6, joining fellow Western Conference foes Sporting Kansas City and Colorado Rapids.
"We’re grinding, we’re in the margins, we deserve better. We deserve better. We controlled this game, we controlled last game. We deserve better," Vanney said. "Yes, we need to execute better. That’s on us. But what we deserve we should get. That’s fair. Those three were not fair and that’s frustrating. I’m fighting for my guys. My guys are sitting in there dumbfounded they can’t get a call and that’s why I’m sitting here to say it’s unacceptable by them. Unacceptable."
LA will hit the road to meet Houston Dynamo FC next Saturday in Matchday 7 (8:30 pm ET | MLS Season Pass).
