New England Revolution midfielder Jermaine Jones apologized for pushing referee Mark Geiger after a controversial non-call in the closing minutes of Wednesday's 2-1 MLS playoff defeat to D.C. United.
Jones was incensed that Geiger did not give a penalty when the ball hit off of defender Sean Franklin's arm in stoppage time.
The United States international ran after Geiger, initially bumping him slightly with his chest. When Geiger showed a yellow card, Jones responded by quickly touching his hands to Geiger's midsection. Geiger then issued a red card, but Jones still pursued the official, grabbing his arms and spinning him around.
Jones said he was sorry for his actions after the game, but stood by his opinion of Geiger's decision.
"I apologize for the situation and what I did after," Jones said. "I apologize, for a national team player and all that kind of stuff, it cannot happen, and I'm sorry for that. But, who knows me knows that I hate to lose and I would not go crazy if I'm not 100 percent sure that's a penalty.
"From man to man, to Geiger, I would say I'm sorry for what happened, and it won't happen again."
Geiger told a pool reporter that he decided not to give a penalty because the "defender's arm was in a natural position. Because of the short distance, there was also no time to react. Case of ball-to-hand."
But Jones was completely positive that the Revs should have had an opportunity to level the score from the penalty spot, especially after Geiger had given D.C. a penalty after Scott Caldwell was whistled for handling the ball in the 75th minute.
"I think everybody who came today could see it, it was 100 percent a penalty," Jones said. "My passion then after maybe went a little bit high, but I think it's normal. It's only two minutes to go, and then you're out. For what happened after, I would say I'm sorry, maybe because I play with the national team it cannot happen, but it happened. People who know me, they know that I'm not a good loser. In that moment I was really upset, I think if you give Scotty [Caldwell]'s penalty, you have to give this penalty, too."
Chris Rolfe missed D.C.'s penalty but he scored the winner from open play eight minutes later.
Jones said there was no difference between the two calls.
"He is real quick. He says, 'penalty,' and we have to take it; they miss it," Jones said about the Caldwell call. "We get the exact same, the ball goes against the hand, the guy from D.C. says the same, he says, 'Yeah, it's a handball.' And I go to [the referee] and I don't like how he handled it and how he says it, like with a little bit of arrogance."
D.C. coach Ben Olsen said the rule is ambiguous.
"It's tough," Olsen said. "They can go either way. I don't even know what a handball in the box is anymore. I really don't. Ball to hand, hand to ball, I don't know. Some of it's gray, some of it is in the referee's hands."
It was not the first time this year the Geiger was involved in a controversial hand ball decision.
CONCACAF said he made errors in Mexico's controversial victory over Panama in the Gold Cup semifinals, when El Tri won with the help of a stoppage-time penalty decision.
Jones had previously bumped Geiger during another game against D.C. United in May, though he was not sent off or further disciplined by the league in that case.
Geiger, who officiated at the 2014 World Cup, was also bumped in last season's playoffs by Vancouver's Sebastian Fernandez.
For his part, United's Franklin agreed with the non-call as D.C. advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals.
"It hit my hand, but my hand was in a natural position," Franklin said. "As far as the other handball, that [Alvaro] Sabo[rio] tried to hit, [Scott Caldwell's] arm was up. But whatever, that play is done, the game is done and we're moving on. That's all I care about."