Major League Soccer announced this evening that New England Revolution head coach Caleb Porter has been fined $20,000 and suspended for one match as a result of ‘public criticism’ aimed a referee in the wake of the Revs’ 2-2 draw with St. Louis City over the weekend.
When his side were not awarded a penalty after a controversial VAR check late in the game, Porter took to the microphone post-match to level plenty of criticism at the officiating crew.
“It is a complete joke,” he said. “It’s a travesty, and there needs to be some accountability for that decision, because we lost two points because of that decision.
“We have literally had that same thing happen to us three different times where the official has been sent to the monitor, and there is a clear penalty, and the official doesn’t call it. What is happening? It is mind-boggling.”
Porter followed up by saying, “The referee was a complete coward in that moment. Complete coward, and it’s a travesty. He shouldn’t officiate. He cost our players two points today, two really important points, and I’m not going to stand for it.
“I don’t care if I get fined, I don’t care what [MLS commissioner] Don Garber says. What Don Garber needs to do is look at that situation, look at the official in that situation, and needs to hold this official accountable.”
Porter will serve his suspension on September 14 when New England take on Orlando City.