Should Michael Boxall’s stoppage-time headed equalizer against Columbus Crew SC have counted? It can be debated, but Minnesota United coach Adrian Heath has no doubts.
“Having just watched it, I don’t know what the rule is anymore because they [referees] get told to keep the flag down and let the play finish and then they’ll have a look at it after. But from the clip we’ve just seen, he’s not offside,” Heath said in his post-match video press conference following a 2-1 defeat. “So disappointed and it’ll be interesting to see what they’ll say when they look at it. But on the whole they [Crew SC] would have been disappointed had they drawn the game, for sure. They’re a good team, well-coached, spent a lot of money on a lot of good players … I think they’re going to be there or thereabouts at the end of the season.”
On the play, Emanuel Reynoso curled a free kick into the box where Jose Aja headed on to Boxall, who nodded the ball past a rooted Eloy Room from the edge of the six-yard box.
On the service, it appeared Aja’s head was slightly ahead of Gyasi Zardes and assistant referee C.J. Morgante raised his flag immediately.
Watch: Adrian Heath on controversial call
“Looking at the last free kick, he doesn’t look offside to me,” Heath said later in his press conference. “Maybe we can feel a little bit aggrieved. But it is what it is and we’ll move on.”
“It was a horrible decision at the end there to walk away with,” added Kei Kamara, who made his Loons debut. “They can definitely check that, that’s what VAR is for so I’m really not happy. Because you want to give it your all as a player and you want to make sure that everything else is going right and everybody is doing their part.”
Not surprisingly, Crew boss Caleb Porter had a different vantage point.
“It was close, but he’s definitely offside on the call,” Porter said after the match. “I looked at that, as well, so it wasn’t a goal obviously.”
