MLS parity or parody?

Week 2 of the 2024 Major League Soccer season has finished up and yes, we noticed the replacement refs. Again.

MLS boasts it’s extreme parity. The league is proud of those incredibly thin margins at the end of the year! But when only a couple points can mean the difference between 2nd place and 9th place, the referees can make or break a season.

Which makes moments like this, feel a bit like a joke.

Clear missed call from the refs.

The ball went off Mikael Uhre here, the Union were awarded a throw and then earned the corner that led to the equalizer. pic.twitter.com/eU5jahU3h3

— Joe Tansey (@JTansey90) March 3, 2024

It should be noted, of course, that the regular referees also sucked. So it’s really hard to distinguish the source of the awfulness. But the main point is that something needs to be done to improve the quality of the officiating.

Because we can’t go a whole season like this… can we?

While it appears MLS instructed media members to not “belabor” the point about replacement refs, Shades of Blue had plenty to say on this week’s show.

The newest episode starts off discussing the atmosphere at CMP with fresh new vibes during pregame. Did some new lights and bigger screens really make a difference?

So far it doesn’t quite feel like last season yet. Alan Pulido is out there after all. Or is he?

Find the KC Soccer Journal wherever you get your podcasts. Please subscribe, rate, & review! You can yell at Cody @ThatCodyTho, Thad @TheBackpost, and Robert @SpKCLife.

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