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Hey MLS, would you mind giving Luke Rodgers back his assist?

Has the league made a mistake in its calculation of the statistical achievements of Luke Rodgers in 2011?

Easy, Luke - we'll get this sorted out for you
Easy, Luke - we'll get this sorted out for you
Stephen Dunn

The official record credits Luke Rodgers with three assists during his brief stay in MLS.

His first was the most important assist of the last three-and-a-half seasons*:


*Warning: statement may contain exaggeration

His second was largely about Dane Richards:


His third was the sort of nifty, defense-splitting pass that gets people thinking "Henry effect" if executed by RBNY's captain:


His fourth was an accident:


Wait. Fourth? But the official record says three:

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Indeed. Curiously, however, the official record for that particular match credits Rodgers with an assist for scuffing a shot that subsequently landed at Thierry Henry's feet:

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Well, it was clearly unintentional.

Except that can't be it. In the sense that one can rarely be 100% certain what a teammate will do with the ball once received, many assists are "unintentional". Also, completely failing to achieve what was intended is not grounds for denying an assist.

Robbie Keane recently got one for a flubbed shot:


So what it is it, MLS? Did your record-keepers determine Rodgers didn't actually touch the ball on its way through to Henry? Because, unless you have access to other angles - in which case, please do  share - that seems a very harsh call indeed. The ball looks like its trajectory shifts just a tad as it squirts through the legs of Luke Rodgers on its way to Henry's more confident feet.

Come on, MLS. Rodgers is no threat to any statistical records you hold dear. He isn't coming back. You're safe now. Let him have his fourth assist.