SC Soccer Forums SCSoccer.com Forums Girls Varsity Soccer SC 4A Girls State Championship game

I think Francis has made a statement that she can't back up. How about giving us one in the last 4 years that was recruited and played for Mann girls soccer?

You need to go back and read what I said again.

Never said anything remotely like that. I was not at the game so I have no idea how it was called.

What I DID say was that we played Mann a few years ago and a lot of thought it was called on Mann's favor by home town refs.

That is sort of the nature of the game. Our girls are angels who never foul and the other team is a bunch of cheating biker chicks. And of course the refs always hate us and love them.

BTW I spent a LOT of time on the side line taking photos and the refs have a much harder job than you may think. MUCH easier to see fouls from the stands because you have a better field of view. On the field you often miss stuff because bodies are in the way or the angle is bad.

For example saw a girl holding the back of a girls jersey plain as day, but the ref was across the field and in front of both girls and lacks the x-ray vision it would take to the see the hand on the jersey. So yea, we were yelling for a foul and the ref never saw a thing.

That is life.

Anyway, you lost to Lexington. Man up and deal with it.

Don't understand why the referees are at the center of this debate? IMO the refereeing this year has been the worst its ever been, so it should not be a surprise to anyone that the referees did not get better over night.

Instead of debating how many inches the ball was over the line (kudos to the AR for making the correct but gutsy call), SC Soccer should be focusing on reform of HS Soccer Officiating in the state (coming from a current HS official).

Referees need to be held accountable... Coaches, players and fans are all held accountable for their actions, why not referees? Match assessments and a simple rating system by the coaches and referee peers on the referees overall performance would greatly increase accountability and sort out the overall capability of each referee. Other SCHSL officials have accountability to the league based on in-game-performance , why not soccer?

Hey, I'll own being an ahole. But unfortunately it doesn't make What I wrote any less true. Plus, I'm trying to exactly figure out how your daughter playing D1 soccer figures into this discussion. Would you like an award for that fact?

was at match yesterday....poor venue choice. Both scoreboard and PA system were not properly functioning...the game: if Mann had committed to stopping Lexington's #10 as well as Lexington committed to stopping Mann's #12 then Mann wins in regulation .. Coming-out of a water break at 20 minutes with a 1-0 lead, particular attention should have been paid at the price of going forward, which opened up the ball over the top. Mann's defenders lacked focus and urgency needed to close out and win championship.. ... thought Lexington had several high quality shots that the Mann keeper did well to stop....thought Mann squandered their procession edge by trying to force play down the right side when direct runs a Lexington's center backs had more success i.e. when they scored....The ref? The OT non-call when Mann's #13 had her shoulder and shirt pulled in the box. You didn't need a high mega pixel camera with a telephoto lens to see that she was closer to the ball than the keeper and was kept from getting to it by being pulled from behind.... to not give it was unprofessional....thought the goal was a goal but not sure how anyone could be definative, very close and maybe too close to call especially when the ref passed on the foul in the box. Exciting match with lots of drama and opportunity for second guessing.

I was at the game and can confirm the back of the net moved after it skimmed the top of the cross bar on the final goal. The video / pics show clearly the ball had crossed the black goal line. Great display of refereeing by the sideline official to inform the center ref that this was a goal. The classless post game interview from the JL Mann coach was unbelievable. How could anyone want their child to play for a coach that is a horrible role model for their kids like that man. I would be embarrassed to be a part of a program that is led by a man like that. He was out coached all game by Chris Fryland and Kelley Maupin. Instead of having someone shadow Lex's #13 who was clearly the best player on the field at all times the JL Mann coach let her roam free in the middle of the field all game. If the JL Mann coach was as worried about shutting down Lex's talented sophomore offensive players (#12, #10, #13) as he was about the refereeing maybe he would have had clearly seen #13 destroying his team all game and made a change defensively. It's very easy to make an excuse and blame officials when you were outcoached and lost to a superior program. The tough thing to do is accepting a loss and showing respect to the new 4A Girls State Champions Lexington. I'm glad we were all able to see which road the JL Mann coach chose to take by that classless post game interview. What a shame.

Very passionate thread and topic, after reviewing all the video evidence provided it seems no question the call was correct, and a goal awarded. I side with those who think the behavior by the JL Mann coach is in poor taste. To blame the officials is wrong.. Mr. Gray is correct, score more goals.. play better, don't put yourself in position to lose on a 50/50 call.

Folks, for those who think these officials have a "biased" in who wins and who loses you truly are drinking your hometown Koolaid. Officials in all sports are doing their best to get the call right, to go "un-noticed" to do the best for the teams and the game.

Don't be "that fan", in sports there is the "thrill of victory" and "the agony of defeat". Both not only show character, but they reveal character. Unfortunately, this will not be a time where the JL Mann coach reflects on his behavior as "positive". I imagine he will wish he had handled this in a more sporting way. I know he is fighting for his team, and he should, but this is not the avenue.

Congratulations to both teams, they had incredible seasons.

From all I've seen, this was a hard-fought championship between two excellent teams who both proved beyond a doubt that they deserved to be there. I think most will agree when I say I'd rather see a match decided on the field in the waning OT than have it decided in kicks from the mark...the latter doesn't say nearly as much about the overall quality and effort of the teams.

Regardless of what the AR said or didn't say, did or didn't do, or how anyone in the heat and excitement of the moment perceived it, there is no reasonable doubt from the video that the entirety of the ball crossed the entirety of the black goal line. The ball crossed into the goal and a goal was awarded...that's about as fair as it can be.

The bottom line is that both teams obviously played like champions. Both teams were deserving, but only one could walk out as the winner, and Lexington did what they had to. You can call the angle of the ball off the crossbar luck, but creating the opportunity for a shot on goal at that range took skill and effort.

In the end, it was a championship decided by inches, and that's how it should be remembered.

The Mann coach has demonstrated the same attitude all season as he did during and after the championship game. It should not surprise anyone with his very poor attitude and sportsmanship. It is sad to see that his players and the fans follow his lead - all continuing to blame officials when things don't go their way. In my opinion, this team is way too good to fall to this level.

Please don't lump all of the Mann supporters together. As I posted yesterday:

As a Mann parent, we should win with class and lose with class. It's fun to win, it hurts to lose - especially like that - but we inevitably have to experience both. I've watched the videos several times and I have to agree that it was a goal - regardless of anything else. Whether the AR or center ref truly thought or knew that it was a goal is up for debate, but the evidence is strong that the entire ball was across the goal line.

I do believe that Mann was the better team and controlled the majority of the game. In a series, Mann would probably win. In a one game championship, Mann failed to capitalize on their opportunities, while Lexington took advantage of their chances. Mann has a great team, but sometimes great teams don't always win.

The referees did not cost Mann the game. Were there questionable calls? Certainly, but that is no different than any other game in any other sport. Mann had some good looks at the goal, but the shots didn't fall. And when Mann had defensive breakdowns, Lexington was able to put the ball in the net (or across the line).

Mann loses a great group of seniors, but there is no rebuilding for this team. They will simply reload and hopefully use this experience as ammunition and come back stronger and more powerful next year.