Melbourne Victory coach Kevin Muscat did not hold back with his criticisms towards the officiating in his side’s 2-2 draw to Melbourne City on Saturday night.
By far the most controversial refereeing decision of the season came at the 55th minute when Gui Finkler’s free kick cannoned off the crossbar and over the line. Referee The goal was not awarded, however replays showed it was a clear goal which would have seen Victory take a 3-2 lead.
“Regardless of whether it was in or not, I’m staggered to comprehend at that moment where (the referee) he’s looking,” Muscat said.
“If he says he’s watching the ball, he’s 18 yards away and he can’t see it go over the line then we got bigger issues.”
With goal-line technology being used in the big leagues in Europe, Muscat was bewildered and thought it was an incident which simply did not need to be reviewed.
“I’m not going to get into it, If we need goal line technology to see that one tonight, then we might as well get a robot in as well,” he said.
“It was clear and obvious to see and it was easy to see. We shouldn’t have had to go upstairs for it, that’s my view and that’s my opinion.
“To be honest I feel let down and deflated, I certainly understand how difficult a job the officials have got, it’s deflating when the big ones need to be seen, and one was actually seen tonight.”
The goal which was not paid was not the only controversial moment in the night. Appeals for a Victory penalty were not heeded within seven minutes after Kosta Barbarouses was clipped in the box by Patrick Kisnorbo.
It was a feisty encounter from beginning to end, culminating in a total of seven yellow cards each way, as well as a red card to Anthony Caceres, his second red in the space of three weeks.
Ben Garuccio, who was one of the booked players, should have been sent off according to Muscat. The City left-back slid in and floored Barbarouses in the 67th minute with no foot to the ball.
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The Victory boss believed his team was sorely hard done by due to the officiating.
“Three big decisions tonight in my opinion, they were wrong,” he said.
“The goal was one, a penalty in the first half for Kosta and after the incident when asked by Broxham, he said there was contact but he didn’t think it was a foul.
“At that point Kosta’s one-on-one with the goalkeeper and he might have thought it was better to go down rather than score.
“So it was a clear penalty, he said there was contact and he didn’t give it.
“Twenty minutes into the second half when Kosta is brought down by Garuccio after we spent the first half with an untold yellow cards.
“There was no second yellow card, 20 minutes into the second half, they would have been down to 10 men.
“In the end Matthieu gets booked for winning a header, staggering you know, they’re just my opinions but I suppose that’s what I’m here for.”
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