Elite athletes are hard-wired to scratch and claw for every advantage they can while performing. Arguing corner kicks vs. goal kicks in soccer on balls kicked past the endline is so routine that this week a referee publicly complimented a player for admitting the call went against him.
Sounder at Heart recounts the story, which took place in the 1-1 draw between the San Jose Earthquakes and Seattle Sounders on Saturday. Ricardo Salazar was the referee for the match, and on Monday he authored a Facebook post giving Sounders forward Jordan Morris a symbolic "green card" for good sportsmanship, as Morris admitted he touched the ball last on a 50-50 play with San Jose's Fatai Alashe, which gave San Jose a goal kick.
Who knows? Maybe Salazar's green card initiative will really take off as the hot new accessory for players.
