Whew… that must have been everyone’s reaction to Sunday’s NWSL Matchday 6 clash between the Portland Thorns and Racing Louisville. Both sides shared the spoils in a 3-3 thriller — a six-goal spectacle packed with drama. What more could fans have asked for? However, it seems the dust didn’t settle even after the final whistle. Thorns’ Jessie Fleming and Louisville’s Ary Borges have now taken center stage, not only to war with words against each other but also to take a subtle jab at the referees.
There was no love lost between the teams in this match. Surprisingly referee Corbyn May awarded an NWSL-record 41 fouls throughout the 90-minute mark. Yet, he managed to write only one name in his book, issuing a yellow card to Portland’s Reyna Reyes, before showing a red card to Borges for arguing post-full time. That’s not all as the game also saw Corbyn signal not once but twice to the spot in favor of the Thorns.
Since then, the aftermath has been nothing short of high drama, with frustration continuing to boil over as players and coaches from both teams voiced their complaints. The first one to hit the panic button was the home side’s midfielder Jessie Fleming. Commenting on the game in the post-match presser, she said, “I think, in general, reflecting our performance, we played into their hands a little bit and kind of dug ourselves a hole.”
“That match can’t keep happening in the league, I think it’s embarrassing,” added the Canadian international, insisting such situations alter the sport. Further expressing the frustration on behalf of all the players, Fleming praised her team for being able to make a comeback at their home ground, denying the away side going back with three points.
https://twitter.com/justwsports/status/1916922790697177191
(This is a developing story…)
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