In soccer, a red card is the worst penalty a player can receive.
It is given to a player by the official for flagrant misconduct, which results in ejection from the game and a suspension from the next scheduled game.
Senior defender Lindsey Werdell was given a red card in Friday’s game against Washington State, and she’s not happy about it.
“Totally uncalled for, I’m still upset about it,” Werdell said. “It was the worst call I think I’ve ever seen a ref make.”
Washington State’s Shelby Brownfield was on a break away toward the goal in Friday’s game, according to an Oregon release. Brownfield was slightly ahead of the Oregon defense but Werdell was close and to her side. Werdell said she slid with the intention to go for the ball but not to take Brownfield down.
“They call it a professional foul,” Werdell said. “Somebody’s on a break away and you don’t, like, take them out, but you make sure they’re not going to score.”
It was Werdell’s first career card. Referees can also give yellow cards but they only carry the penalty of a caution for a dangerous play, and the player is not ejected.
“I was totally surprised they gave me a red,” Werdell said. “I expected a foul outside the box, maybe a yellow card at most. He just ran straight up to me and gave me a red card, and then he called a free kick outside the box.”
The free kick was awarded to Washington State. Senior Rachel Rodrick converted on the opportunity to score the final goal of the game. The Cougars won 2-0.
Werdell had to sit out of the Washington game on Sunday because of the penalty. She has yet to review the tape to see if the call was legitimate. Werdell may decide to appeal the call, which would serve as a bad mark on the referee’s record.
“I think he kind of knew he made a mistake,” Werdell said.

Where did the offense go?
Oregon’s offense was effective in the game against Weber State on Oct. 10. The Ducks put three goals in the back of the net for the first time in five games.
A week later, the Ducks won a 4-3 overtime game against Oregon State in Corvallis. The five-game scoreless drought from early in the season seemed like ancient history.
In the Ducks’ contests with Washington State and Washington this weekend, Oregon came home empty-handed, losing in a combined score of 4-0. That upped Oregon’s opponents’ shutout number to eight on the season.
Where did the offense go?
“It’s there, we just don’t execute on the chances we get,” forward Nicole Garbin said. “Our chances were there. We totally dominated the UW game.
“It’s probably just lack of concentration. We just need to get that one goal. Bill (Steffen, head coach) has said once you get that first goal you have confidence that the second one’s going to come easier.”

Home sweet home
Papé Field is a special place to the women’s soccer team.
“I feel like we’ve never lost at home,” Garbin said.
In fact, Oregon has lost once this season. The Ducks are 4-1 at Papé Field , with the only loss a 1-0 setback to Portland on Oct. 3. But to Garbin, that one doesn’t even count.
“The Portland game, we did lose 1-0, but we played so well I don’t even feel like we lost that game,” Garbin said. “I don’t even consider that a loss under our belt.”
With the feeling that Papé Field ensues confidence in the Ducks, Oregon will try and fuel that fire when it plays its first conference home game against Stanford on Friday.