Toronto v. Houston - STOTT / BELLEAU / LOWRY / GANTAR D.C. United v. Colorado - SALAZAR / GANSNER / BADEA / CHAPIN
Columbus v. Real Salt Lake - OKULAJA / CLEMENT / FEREDAY / GRAJEDA Chicago v. San Jose - ANNO / DITTMAR / BALCIUNAS / KENNEDY New England v. Chivas USA - GONTAREK / SUPPLE / BARKEY / BRATSIS
I was watching the TFC / Houston game on TV this afternoon, and noticed that Kevin Stott was in the middle for the game. I'm curious - wouldn't CSA national referees be assigned to the game because it is in Canada? Or, does MLS have an agreement with the CSA to assign US officials for league games because the league is primarily a US league? I believe that USL games in Canada are assigned CSA referees - I just wonder why MLS wouldn't follow suit. If anyone knows, I'd like to hear why this is the case. Thanks!
CSA officials do indeed get matches in Toronto, but they don't get all of them. I believe they get 7 or 8 of the 15. They also get various matches in other locations around the league, a practice that started the year before Toronto joined the league (so '06 I think). It's all part of the agreement between USSF and CSA.
Actually the CSA officials were brought in to work exhibition matches mostly, the season before Toronto entered. This was to bring them up to speed since they never had that level play in Canada. There were only a few CSA officials included. They also attended National Camp that year. There only a few on this list from Canada and Toronto would see them too frequently so USSF officials are brought in to work games and the few CSA officials are given a few assignments in the US. MLS does the assigning through US Soccer only.
OK - this makes sense. I knew that USSF was doing the assigning for MLS, but I didn't know of the arrangement between CSA and USSF. If nothing else, having CSA refs attend USSF pro camp will only help improve the top-level CSA officiating. Thanks for clarifying!
I need an unbiased opinion. Did anyone see Fred's incident with Cory Gibbs in the second half of DC - Colorado? Fred was sitting on a yellow card at the time and I thought it was a clear yellow card for foul play. Even Fred was turning his back so the ref could record his number, but no card was given. Am I off base?
Ricardo Salazar did not cover himself with glory in this match. Many who saw the Fred tackle, in which he went over the ball and into Gibbs' knee with the studs, thought it should have been a send off. I was cheesed that he let Conor Casey shove, push, pull and otherwise manhandle opposing defenders with inpunity. Was he consistent? Yes. Was he right? Not in my view.
You don't even need an unbiased opinion. Every DC fan I've spoken to who's looked at the replay of that foul thinks Fred got off easy.
Week 19: Real Salt Lake v. Dallas - SALAZAR / TOVAR / ANDERSON / PLOEGER Seattle v. Chicago - TOLEDO / BRAGG / HOSKING / MARISCAL Columbus v. Toronto - PRUS / HURD / MADUKANYA / LUNDQVIST Houston v. New England - KENNEDY / VASOLI / QUISENBERRY / OKULAJA Kansas City v. Los Angeles - VAUGHN / GANSNER / MUSCHIK / KADLECIK Colorado v. New York - ANNO / BALCIUNAS / MONJE / CHOUAF San Jose v. D.C. United - STOTT / ROCKWELL / SCOTT / REYES
MLS All-Star Game: SALAZAR / FLETCHER / BRIERE / VAUGHN CSA providing the ARs is interesting, I suppose.
Good for Salazar who seems to be having a much better year than some of his past - he was my early bet for MLS Cup but now I am rethinking. As I don't think they typically give someone both assignments.
I remembered watching the Chicago vs. Houston game towards the beginning of the season live and I was extremely impressed with how Salazar handled the game. Granted, it was only one game, but it made me like him and his personality on the field more.
Week 20! New England v. Toronto - VAUGHN / CLEMENT / BADEA / SUCKLE Dallas v. Kansas City - CHAPIN / QUISENBERRY / BOLES / PENSO Houston v. D.C. United - SALAZAR / MORGANTE / GARNER / ANNO Colorado v. Columbus - REYES / BORIA / MANIKOWSKI / CHOUAF San Jose v. Seattle - WARD / TOVAR / BRAGG / REYES Couple interesting assignments. This is Chapin's first MLS center since, I believe, Chicago-San Jose early last season. As I recall, that match had something like 9 yellows and was pretty universally regarded as a very poor performance. Meanwhile, Yader Reyes apparently gets to catch the red eye to California for fourth official duties immediately after having the center in Colorado. One more match left to be posted.
New England v. Los Angeles - GONZALEZ / WIENCKOWSKI / CULLUM / KADLECIK San Jose v. Columbus - GONTAREK / ANDERSON / HOSKING / REYES Colorado v. Chivas USA - PRUS / BARKEY / GANSNER / CHOUAF
Real Salt Lake v. Seattle - STOTT / STRICKLAND / SCOTT / JURISEVIC Houston v. Chicago - VAUGHN / MUSCHIK / BOLES / ANNO
Week 22: Toronto v. D.C. United - PRUS / BARKEY / BORIA / BOURDEAU Columbus v. Dallas - JURISEVIC / HURD / CONLEE / GRAJEDA Los Angeles v. Seattle - SALAZAR / MORGANTE / ANDERSON / HERNANDEZ
New York v. Chivas USA - STOTT / MUSCHIK / FEREDAY / SUCKLE Real Salt Lake v. Houston - WARD / GANSNER / BOLES/ PLOEGER
Week 23: Chicago v. Los Angeles - PETRESCU / MANIKOWSKI / GARNER / HERRERA Seattle v. New England - TOLEDO / GANSNER / BOLES / JURISEVIC
Chivas USA v. Toronto - GRAJEDA / ROCKWELL / TOVAR / STOTT New York v. Dallas - ANNO / MORGANTE / BRIERE / GONZALEZ
D.C. United v. Los Angeles - GEIGER / QUISENBERRY / MADUKANYA / KADLECIK San Jose v. Kansas City - SALAZAR / SCOTT / ANDERSON / REYES