It made news when ‘the punch’ happened, but now the headline will read ‘Punched Soccer Ref Dies;’ the 46-year old Utah soccer ref died Saturday night.
The story is as ridiculous as it is sad. Ricardo Portillo was just trying to do what a lot of players in every sport do when they get older–stay involved in the game they love. Some do it by becoming coaches at whatever level of the game suits them while others take another route and become referees.
In a recreational league–yes, a rec league that is supposedly just for fun–game on April 27 Portillo called a foul on a 17-year old player and issued him a yellow card. For non-soccer fans, a yellow card is basically a warning a player gets after a foul; two result in a red card and expulsion from the game.
The kid in question was playing goalie and shoved another player that was trying to score. it was an easy call for Portillo to make, but the youngster tried to argue it anyway. While Portillo was busy writing in his notes he hauled off and hit him in the side of the head...
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