General Manager of Professional Referee Organization clarifies a statement made to NBC Sports Network
PETER WALTON
The Professional Referee Organization (PRO) released a statement today clarifying comments made by PRO GM Peter Walton about a play that occurred in the first half of the 2012 MLS Easter Conference finals.
During half-time, Walton told NBC Sports Network, "Looking at it in real time, I thought the tracking defender [Houston's Luiz Camargo] could have influenced the outcome of that particular play and the benefit of the doubt would go to the defending team in a situation of a denial of a goal scoring opportunity. That's my opinion from seeing it in real time."
Today, Walton said, "In review of that play, my opinion has changed in as much as the defender, which I thought in real time would have influenced the play, clearly was behind the action and therefore the disciplinary sanction should have been a red card for denial of a goal scoring opportunity.
"I made the initial statement on my real time opinion without having the advantage of a replay. Having reviewed the replay, it is clear it ticks all the boxes for a denial of as goal scoring opportunity and a send-off should have been the outcome."
