The ref hadn’t even taken the whistle out of his mouth before the whining and complaining started. It was the usual sentiment: “Robo!” “Regalo!” “Jugaron con 12.” Veracruz fans were furious and and steadfast in their belief that the referee had robbed them of their chance to advance past Pumas in the Liga MX playoffs.
Never mind the fact that Veracruz failed to capitalize on numerous chances in the home leg, or that their cries for offside on Pumas’ early goal in the way leg were unfounded, as were their desperate pleas for a decision on a penalty for a handball that would never be called even by the worst ref on the planet. Even the Shark’s front office this week demanded an investigation to root out the obvious favoritism demonstrated by Roberto Garcia Orozco. Please.
It is an all too common occurrence. Fans of a losing side, instead of coming to terms with their team’s shortcomings, point fingers at the man in black. The perennial scapegoat.
That is not to say that ref’s don’t make mistakes that affect the outcome of a game. Of course they do. But it is a huge part of the game. And to the Red Sharks’ credit, they certainly didn’t seem to let it affect their play. They did their level best to tilt the game in their favor.
But for a large swath of fans, that is meaningless. The ref’s dubious decisions are the ONLY reason their side lost. As if whatever happened before or after that blind idiot blew his whistle had no influence on the game. They cling to it — the loser’s lifeline.
Even after America was embarrassed at home by the same Pumas, 3-0, some fans latched on to the loser’s lifeline to blame the ref. The players lost their mind, the coach didn’t make the necessary adjustments after 2 red cards, but it was the ref’s fault. Ain’t it always?
How is that working out for you, losers?