MLS Referee Assignment Thread

[MassachusettsRef]

If this last throughout the season as a catalogue, great. If not, no big deal.

Format = Home : Away - REFEREE/Senior Asst./Junior Asst./4th

Week 1
Dallas : Chicago - STOTT/Barkey/Strickland/Bazakos

Kansas City : Columbus - GEIGER/Tovar/Fereday/Yonan

DC : New York - HALL/Quinsenberry/Supple/Jones

Chivas : Salt Lake - SALAZAR/Davidson/Rockwell/Toledo

Houston : Colorado - PRUS/Vergara/Borne/Tait

Los Angeles: New England - TBA/tba/tba/tba


Well, talk about a tough assignment for Stott/Barkey/Strickland. I'm sure it was intended as a sort of celebration of Stott's selection for the World Cup. Now he's faced what must be the biggest disappointment a referee can face in his career and he must officiate the opening match of the MLS regular season and set the tone for the year. Plus, Barkey and Strickland lose out on their dream without ever even having the chance to audition at the AR workshop. I hope they bang out a great game, but I can't imagine more difficult conditions for them as a team. Bazakos will play a key role in making sure the team is mentally prepared.

Other than that, it looks like USSF has marched out most of the FIFAs for the first week, plus Geiger. I'd bet that Vaughn has the Galaxy/Revs match, but I haven't seen confirmation anywhere. Could be Kennedy, Okulaja or Simmons, too. Tait is really the only new name on the list; he's been doing pre-season matches, and I expect we'll see him get his shot at an MLS whistle later this year.

[hornetbiz]

Okulaja is the CR for the Galaxy/Revs game...Lowry and Clement ARs and Salazar 4th.

Abbey has to have some unbelievable pictures of Tamberino or Machnik because he gets better assignments than the FIFA's. :confused:

Seriously though...I personally don't mind Okulaja I think he's ok, but he's not the guy who should be getting one of the games that is nationally televised on opening weekend. Over the last two seasons he's gotten more assignments than any other MLS ref and I just don't get why.

[billf]

Okulaja is the CR for the Galaxy/Revs game...Lowry and Clement ARs and Salazar 4th.

Abbey has to have some unbelievable pictures of Tamberino or Machnik because he gets better assignments than the FIFA's. :confused:

Seriously though...I personally don't mind Okulaja I think he's ok, but he's not the guy who should be getting one of the games that is nationally televised on opening weekend. Over the last two seasons he's gotten more assignments than any other MLS ref and I just don't get why.

He had a couple of rough games last year but he is very highly regarded and I think he's usually been one of the league's best the last couple of years.

[Jumbler]

He had a couple of rough games last year but he is very highly regarded and I think he's usually been one of the league's best the last couple of years.

Yes, he is a fantastic referee. I hope he will be a FIFA soon.

[billf]

I just noticed that Geiger has gotten an opening day assignment two years in a row and this is only year three for him. Interesting...

[Shaydee]

Kennedy just did Mexico-Paraguay on Wednesday.

[MassachusettsRef]

Format = Home : Away - REFEREE/Senior Asst./Junior Asst./4th

Week 2
DC : Chivas - YONAN/Barkey/Wiencowski/Chapin

New York : New England - TOLEDO/Eddy/Morgante/Gonzalez

Houston : Kansas City - SIMMONS/Dittmar/Vasoli/Moody

Dallas : Salt Lake City - HALL/Taylor/Saylers/Grajeda

Colorado : Columbus - VAUGHN/Monje/Scott/Tait

Los Angeles : Chicago - PRUS/Corro/Bragg/Batko

[MassachusettsRef]

Format = Home : Away - REFEREE/Senior Asst./Junior Asst./4th

Week 3

Columbus : Chicago - SIMMONS/Supple/Vergara/Grajeda

DC : Houston - OKULAJA/Ganser/Ellis/Canales

Kansas City : New England - YONAN/Quisenberry/Rockwell/St. Silva

Colorodo : Dallas - KENNEDY/Davidson/Corro/Chouaf

Salt Lake City : New York - MARRUFO/Clement/Dittmar/Heron

Chivas : Galaxy - STOTT/Strickland/Groguhe/Toledo

[KMJvet]

Just out of curiosity, why aren't Kari Seitz adn Sandra Hunt in the MLS referee pool? Is it that they think male players won't respect them...or fans won't....or women center officials simply can't run fast enough for the men's game....or they don't want to. Seems like it wouldn't be that they're too busy given no WUSA....or maybe they are if there's enough international competitions. Anyway, just curious what the reasons are.

[nylaw5]

Seitz is still an active FIFA and is doing USL matches this year, she was used as a 4th last year in MLS....player respect? I dunno, she has skills though.

Hunt retired last year from the FIFA list and became a FIFA match inspector (assessor) and a FIFA Instructor, I would imagine she will be assesing or coaching some of the MLS games this season.

I think those are the only two female referees who would/could have handled MLS comp. A little surprised they don't use some of the female ARs like Sutton who are very fit and could handle an MLS game.

[KMJvet]

Thanks for the info. I'll rather miss seeing Sandra on the field, but suspect she'll do a fine job as assessor.

I think your point about ARs is interesting too....there's a female AR we see regularly in MFL and she seems quite good.

[Flyer Fan]

Columbus : Chicago - SIMMONS/Supple/Vergara/GrajedaSimmons is doing a Q&A session after the game for local refs. It should be interesting.

[Wingdings]

And is Seitz doing well as a center in USL?

[tmaker]

Seitz is still an active FIFA and is doing USL matches this year, she was used as a 4th last year in MLS....player respect? I dunno, she has skills though.

Hunt retired last year from the FIFA list and became a FIFA match inspector (assessor) and a FIFA Instructor, I would imagine she will be assesing or coaching some of the MLS games this season.

I think those are the only two female referees who would/could have handled MLS comp. A little surprised they don't use some of the female ARs like Sutton who are very fit and could handle an MLS game.
I've no doubt at all that Kari Seitz could handle MLS. I might even add Sandra Serafini to that list. I can think of a couple of female ARs who certainly deserve to be on the list, Karalee being one of them, definitely. I think it's pretty clear though that MLS is very much a boys' club, and I'll probably be a well-ossified skeleton by the time a female referee crew appears in MLS.

Sandy Hunt went back to being a Grade 5, in addition to her international duties, so that she could still do various games in Washington State. You won't see her in MLS except perhaps as an instructor.

And is Seitz doing well as a center in USL?

Rather better than Jennifer Bennett, I suspect.

[bluedevils]

Sandy Hunt went back to being a Grade 5, in addition to her international duties, so that she could still do various games in Washington State.

Really? Wonder why she wouldn't have gone emeritus - either National emeritus or FIFA emeritus, if something like that exists.

[whistleblowerusa]

Really? Wonder why she wouldn't have gone emeritus - either National emeritus or FIFA emeritus, if something like that exists.
She can't pass the fitness tests. Maybe because she has no time or just can't do it.

[bluedevils]

She can't pass the fitness tests. Maybe because she has no time or just can't do it.

Ok, I'm confused -- trying to figure out why she would need to pass the fitness test(s) again? Can't a ref just go emeritus? At least with National Emeritus, you don't need to pass the fitness test 'one last time' to go emeritus, right? As long as you passed it in the previous years to earn your national badge and you have met the other requirements for emeritus (3 years as a national?), isn't that all there is to it?

Sandy always looked to be a pretty fit person and in pretty good 'game shape' when I saw her on TV.

[whistleblowerusa]

Ok, I'm confused -- trying to figure out why she would need to pass the fitness test(s) again? Can't a ref just go emeritus? At least with National Emeritus, you don't need to pass the fitness test 'one last time' to go emeritus, right? As long as you passed it in the previous years to earn your national badge and you have met the other requirements for emeritus (3 years as a national?), isn't that all there is to it?

Sandy always looked to be a pretty fit person and in pretty good 'game shape' when I saw her on TV.
The fitness tests at the National level. As an emeritus she would not be required to take any test, but she would not be able to work any games above amatuer. As a 5 she only needs to run something like 2000 meters and the sprints are something like 50 seconds for the 200 for her age group (not sure about the numbers but they are close) and she would be allowed to work USL2 and below including W-league.
To go National Emeritus you would need to be a National for at least 3 years before you apply.

[bluedevils]

The fitness tests at the National level. As an emeritus she would not be required to take any test, but she would not be able to work any games above amatuer. As a 5 she only needs to run something like 2000 meters and the sprints are something like 50 seconds for the 200 for her age group (not sure about the numbers but they are close) and she would be allowed to work USL2 and below including W-league.
To go National Emeritus you would need to be a National for at least 3 years before you apply.

Ok, makes sense. I thought you meant she had to pass a fitness test to go emeritus.

Yes, I know she couldn't have done pro league games as a national emeritus. That's the same reason some of us tried to convince a well-regarded young national in our state to go back to 5 rather than go emeritus this year -- that way, he can still change his mind in the future.

[whistleblowerusa]

Ok, makes sense. I thought you meant she had to pass a fitness test to go emeritus.

Yes, I know she couldn't have done pro league games as a national emeritus. That's the same reason some of us tried to convince a well-regarded young national in our state to go back to 5 rather than go emeritus this year -- that way, he can still change his mind in the future.
He could still reregister as a 5 later. He just can't come back as a National.