Ref's no-calls amuse Nancy as Crew lose shootout

Columbus Crew head coach Wilfried Nancy questioned the validity of Malte Amundsen‘s missed penalty kick in the Campeones Cup loss against Club América, after referee allowed the attempt to stand despite goalkeeper Luis Angel Malagón being off the goal line.

“The referee did a good job during the PK to tell the players, you have to put the ball on the line, the goalkeepers don’t have the right to move,” Nancy said.

“He was so good at that. But when Malte took the PK, the goalkeeper was not on the line. And the referee said that, sorry, I’m laughing because the referee said that it didn’t affect the shot.”

He was able to ask for the rules that they cannot move, they cannot touch the crossbar, the ball, you have to put the ball at the right spot. OK, no problem. But when you have to make an obvious call on the PK and the goalkeeper is in front, he said that the PK wasn’t affected, the shots didn’t affect the goal.”

Without interception from Malagón, Amundsen’s shot hit the crossbar and bounced away from the goal to result in a missed attempt.

Per competition rules, “if the ball misses the goal or rebounds from the cross bar or goalpost(s), the kick is only retaken if the goalkeeper’s offense clearly impacted the kicker.”

Though the Crew fell 1-1 (4-5) to América on Wednesday night at Lower.com Field, Nancy went on to call the experience a lesson.

“We lost the game. I told them when we won the MLS Cup, we learned from that. And we lost the Concacaf Champions Cup final in Pachuca. We also learned from that. So at the end of the day, the fact that we win or we lose, we learn. And for me it was the message. And the message also for them was to tell them that I was proud of them. And we need two or three days to move forward and are already.”

Columbus returns to action on Saturday night when visiting D.C. United at Audi Field, before hosting Inter Miami next Wednesday in Ohio. The Crew currently sit in third place on the Eastern Conference table with 56 points in 29 games.

Mathematically, the Crew stands as one of the three teams that can compete with Inter Miami for the Supporters’ Shield. Though Miami could clinch the title by totaling eight points from the final four games, a loss against Columbus in combination with other results could allow for the Crew to win the shield.

The Crew previously won the 2023 MLS Cup and the 2024 Leagues Cup.