Brawls mar conclusion of SuperLiga semifinals

So much for the SuperLiga as a bridge-building event. Someone should have built a wall to separate the Mexican and MLS teams after the semifinal games, both of which degenerated into full-scale brawls involving coaches and players.

The origins of the conflicts following the Houston-Pachuca and New England-Atlante matches were different. But the scenes were similarly ugly.

Pachuca was mainly upset because a perfectly good goal had been annulled by an offside call. Los Tuzos justifiably felt victimized, though nothing justifies the postgame conflagration at Robertson Stadium Tuesday night. Gabriel Caballero's non-goal might have been enough to decide the match in favor of Pachuca, or at least extend the game into penalty kicks.

But, after referee Neal Brizan's final whistle, the Dynamo had a 2-0 victory, and there was nothing for Pachuca to do but turn its concentration back to league play and the Club Champions Cup.

Atlante did not have as much to gripe about after a 1-0 loss to New England Wednesday night. But the Potros de Hierro went out swinging, goalkeeper Federico Vilar swatting Jay Heaps in face and Revolution coach Steve Nicol in the stomach. Luis Gabriel Rey had knocked down Revolution midfielder Shalrie Joseph in the 85th minute, earning a red card from referee Carlos Batres.

2008 SuperLiga Final
Aug 5. New England vs. Houston Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Mass.

Atlante disputed a possible handball in the penalty area and could have had a gripe about an offside call against Giancarlo Maldonado in the second half, but did not do enough to deserve a victory. In fact, the Potros de Hierro's incessant fouling led to their demise, as Joseph scored off one of the many free kicks Atlante gave up.

Could this mini-border war have been avoided, or at least minimized?

The answer is, "Yes." The simplest way to do so is to go outside CONCACAF for referees and linesmen. In fact, that might be the only way.

Many of the best officials in the Western Hemisphere are in South America. The most accomplished and sophisticated leagues are in Argentina and Brazil, and referees regularly deal with highly-charged situations.

Border problems are complicated and have historical bases, and so do the conflicts between Mexican and U.S. teams. Many of the Atlante and Pachuca players are from South America. They, and all other participants in the SuperLiga, would likely have more respect for high-level referees from CONMEBOL.

A referee can be betrayed by a linesman, and that is what happened to Brizan in Houston.

In Foxboro, Atlante displayed little respect for Batres. A South American referee might have fared better, but only by taking charge from the start and winning over Atlante through credibility and, if that doesn't do it, by fear.

These games present potentially volatile situations, partly because of the stakes -- the SuperLiga awards $2.5 million in prize money to the eight participants.

A referee must take charge before the kickoff. He has to let each team know that he is wiser and more ruthless than they could ever hope to be. He has to know what the players might do before they themselves know. This takes a special mentality, and not many have it.

The SuperLiga should be a showcase for the region. But the standards of pay and play are so varied in CONCACAF that it is difficult to present a tournament in which everything functions at world-class levels.

This SuperLiga will have some far-reaching effects.

MLS players believe they are being shortchanged by the league, which will reward them with only 15 percent of the prize money. A grievance filed by the Dynamo is challenging the pay structure.

But, regardless of the Dynamo grievance, the SuperLiga is shining the spotlight on the discrepancy between salaries in the two countries.

The lineup the Revolution has used in defeating Santos, Pachuca and Atlante is earning a total of about $800,000 annually, less than the salary of the top Mexican league stars. As for the coaches, Jose Guadalupe Cruz, Daniel Guzman and Enrique Meza are all taking in more than three times Steve Nicol's $170,000 salary.

The MLS does not have the sponsorship to match the Mexican clubs' pay structure. But the SuperLiga indicates the gap should not be as wide as it is.

Frank Dell'Apa is a soccer columnist for The Boston Globe and ESPN.