Was it a red card?
That’s the question on everyone’s mind after Toronto FC left back Justin Morrow was shown a straight red for a slide tackle on Ethan Finlay in the first half of what would end up as a 2-0 loss to Columbus Crew SC.
TFC head coach Greg Vanney said he disagreed with referee David Gantar’s red card decision, and said his side will most likely appeal the decision after the fact. Toronto FC captain Michael Bradley weighed in as well after the match, lamenting not just the card but the build-up that led to the referee having to make a call in the first place.
“For me, at the end of it when you have the luxury of watching the replay, it’s probably a little bit soft, but we put ourselves in a bad position,” Bradley told reporters in Columbus after the match. “When our guy is running in like that and you put yourself in a position where the referee has to then make a call, it can go one of two ways. This time, it went the wrong way for us.
“The biggest disappointment is not [the red card],” Bradley continued. “It’s just that now even with that in the second half I still felt that were going to be able to control things in a smart way and still find our chances to play and get opportunities of our own. I don’t think, in the decisive moments in the second half, at both ends, that we were good enough.”
While Morrow was eventually shown a red card, there was some initial confusion on the play, as Gantar first showed a red card to TFC defender Damien Perquis instead. And, while Gantar did eventually sort the situation out, Morrow says he wasn’t given an explanation as to why the red card was being given.
“He didn’t say anything to me,” Morrow said, opting to remain stoic in his resolve after the match. “The play happened, and the only thing I’ll say is I felt like I got the ball. I’ll have to take a look at the replay again but it is what it is. It’s a call that he made and you have to deal with it.”
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For now, Vanney and the rest of TFC’s staff will work to get Morrow’s red card rescinded as Toronto head into a bye week before another away test against Real Salt Lake on March 29, the third of a seven-game run on the road. But this result won’t discourage the new-look Reds, according to Bradley.
“We feel like we have a good team and we still have confidence that when things don’t go perfectly or when things don’t go our way, we can still come away with points,” Bradley explained.
“I’ve been around enough to know that it’s a long season,” Morrow offered. “This is only the second game of the season. There’s ups and downs and we still have a long way to go.”
