Controversial Red Card Leads to 4-0 Loss for Earthquakes Against Real Salt Lake
SANDY, Utah - A highly controversial red card proved to be the difference in a 4-0 loss for the San Jose Earthquakes at Real Salt Lake's Rio Tinto Stadium Saturday night.
The Quakes were level with their hosts, 0-0, before the questionable call came into play. Real Salt Lake forward Alvaro Saborio cut back into the box in the 60th minute and fell to the ground. Initially, the referee handed a red card to San Jose's Brad Ring, who was not involved in the play. After conferring with the linesman, the red card was taken away from Ring and handed to Bobby Burling. The dodgy call left San Jose a man down on the field and the scoreboard as Saborio converted the ensuing penalty.
The Quakes will return to action on Saturday, July 30 as they host D.C. United at 7:30 p.m. PT, presented by Verizon. The match air live on Comcast SportsNet Bay Area, 1220 KDOW and 1370 KZSF.
For a full recap, visit www.sjearthquakes.com.
REAL SALT LAKE (9-3-6) VS SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES (5-7-9)
Rio Tinto Stadium
Attendance: 19,429
Scoring Summary: RSL - Alvaro Saborio (penalty) 63; RSL - Saborio (unassisted) 75; Kyle Beckerman (unassisted) 78; Jamison Olave (Arturo Alvarez, Kyle Beckerman) 83.
Misconduct Summary: RSL - Kyle Beckerman (caution) 13; SJ - Peterson (caution) 15; SJ - Convey (caution) 32; SJ - Brad Ring (caution) 56; Bobby Burling (ejection) 60.
San Jose Earthquakes – Jon Busch, Tim Ward, Nana Attakora (Brad Ring 54), Bobby Burling, Bobby Convey, Jacob Peterson, Sam Cronin, Khari Stephenson, Rafael Baca, Chris Wondolowski, Scott Sealy (Chris Leitch 63).
TOTAL SHOTS: 3; SHOTS ON GOAL: 1; SAVES: 9; FOULS: 8; OFFSIDES: 1; CORNER KICKS:
3. Real Salt Lake – Nick Rimando, Robbie Russell, Jamison Olave, Nat Borchers, Tony Beltran, Ned Grabavoy (Arturo Alvarez 79), Kyle Beckerman, Andy Williams (Collen Warner 72), Will Johnson (Luis Gil 82), Alvaro Saborio, Fabian Espindola.
TOTAL SHOTS: 23; SHOTS ON GOAL: 13; SAVES: 1; FOULS: 15; OFFSIDES: 5; CORNER KICKS:6.
AN JOSE EARTHQUAKES HEAD COACH FRANK YALLOP
On the red card infraction at the hour mark:
"I just asked Bobby Burling, and he didn't touch him. It’s up to the referee to make sure it is a penalty kick and that changed the game. Red card, penalty, goal and we were done after that. Up until then we were doing okay.
On the play of goalkeeper Jon Busch:
“Jon is a good goalkeeper and he made some great saves. He kept us in the game early with a good save on (Fabian) Espíndola.”
SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES DEFENDER BOBBY BURLING
On being sent off for an apparent foul inside the area:
“I haven’t got a chance to watch the replay. I didn’t touch [Saborío]. I thought it was going to be a possible yellow card for a dive if anything. They talked to each other and came over and changed it around. It didn’t make any sense at all.”
On the red card decision’s affect on the game:
“It totally changed the game. It was a battle until the 60th minute. It was a 0-0 game, it was going both ways. A red card will change the game.”
SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES GOALKEEPER JON BUSCH
On the red card call against Bobby Burling:
“One-hundred percent [Burling] didn’t touch [Saborio]. He absolutely did not touch him, I was standing right there. The guy could have shot before he went down if he wanted to. He cut back against two defenders, neither Bobby (Burling) or Brad (Ring) touched him at all, whatsoever. We honestly thought when the referee came running, we were getting ready to play a free kick cause we thought it would be a yellow card for diving. It was unbelievable.”
On how the call changed the game:
“It changed the whole game. Up until that point we were playing a pretty good road game against a very good team. Salt Lake is a very good team, especially at home; they play possession, they knock the ball and wear you down. That card changes the game and it’s a shame, because who knows how it ends.”
