This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Coach Jason Kreis acknowledged that he had "the worst angle" from the sideline to see Fabian Espindola's first-half red card for RSL in its frustrating 3-1 loss at San Jose on Saturday night. But that doesn't mean he wasn't stunned by it — or by "inexperienced" referee Elias Bazakos, who Kreis said so "struggled" that Kreis nearly left the field in protest after the second of two red cards.
"When the second ejection came," Kreis said, "I'm asking myself questions about whether I even stay on the field or just leave and go to the locker room and show my disrespect that way."
The first red card came in the 29th minute, when Espindola made a two-footed slide into San Jose's Sam Cronin as both lunged for the ball."It's always tough when two players slide into a ball together, and you wind up ejecting one," Kreis said. "I would have to assume that Fabian exposed his cleats, that that was the reason why he's ejected. But from where I stood, I was shocked to see [Bazakos] going to his back pocket so quickly."I didn't see it," he added, "so it was shocking, when there's two players that slide in like that, that you send one off. I thought maybe he was going to send them both off. They kicked each other or something. I had no idea what was going on."Kreis was equally surprised by the decision to red card Olave in the 69th minute, ostensibly for fouling San Jose's Steven Lenhart as Lenhart raced in on goalkeeper Nick Rimando."I think if the last defender makes a foul in that way, you give the referee a choice," Kreis said. "And this one seemed to show us all night what kind of choices he was going to make."