CARSON, Calif. – The final whistle for Saturday’s 2-2 draw between the LA Galaxy and Minnesota United was met with a chorus of boos from the StubHub Center crowd after a controversial non-call by head official Baldomero Toledo.
With the score level at two goals apiece, Zlatan Ibrahimović was brought down by Miguel Ibarra in the closing moments of extra time. The Galaxy and the StubHub crowd howled in search of a penalty, but Toledo declined the opportunity to take another look after consulting with Video Assistant Referee Rosendo Mendoza.
After a herky-jerky contest between the two offensive-minded sides, the decision –or lack thereof— left Los Angeles feeling hard done.
“I just saw the replay, and obviously, the video assistant referee has better angles than what I had, but from what I saw, it looked like a penalty,” head coach Sigi Schmid said.
Sebastian Lletget, who scored the second goal of the evening for Los Angeles, agreed.
“They had a chance to look back at it. When we all saw it, we thought it was a penalty. I know he doesn’t fall on top of [Ibrahimović, but he gets in the way of Ibra. If that doesn’t happen, he’ll probably score or at least get a shot on target. With such a decisive moment of the game, it’s a shame.”
Whether the call was correct or not, the Galaxy will have no time to dwell on their misfortune as they face a quick turnaround with a match against the Colorado Rapids on Tuesday.
“It’s disappointing; we’ve been here before," Lletget said. "We just have to overcome it and focus on the next one.”
