[Knave]

This is a new one. Really!

REFEREE: Alcides Hernandez.

SAR (bench): Steven Davidson; JAR (opposite): Fabio Tovar; 4th: Ricardo Salazar

MLS Career: first game
Games involving Rapids:first game
Games involving United: first game

I for one will be very interested to see if he can't do as good a job (or better) than some of our regular MLS referees.

[Jose L. Couso]

Originally Posted by Knave

This is a new one. Really!

REFEREE: Alcides Hernandez.

...

I for one will be very interested to see if he can't do as good a job (or better) than some of our regular MLS referees.

WORD!

[Footer Phooter]

I don't know, I don't think that most refs have great games their first time out at a particular level.

[Th4119]

I absoutely ********ing hate this prick. He is always finding a new way to screw United over. Screw him.




Just warming up for next time.

[Nogra Rover]

Is he from the A League?

[GlennAA11]

Originally Posted by Footer Phooter

I don't know, I don't think that most refs have great games their first time out at a particular level.

Actually the couple of guys who have done their first games this year have been pretty good. It's after the first game that they start having problems.

[Lanky134]

REFEREE: Alcides Hernandez. SAR (bench): Steven Davidson; JAR (opposite): Fabio Tovar; 4th: Ricardo Salazar
MLS Career: first game
Games involving Rapids: first game
Games involving United: first game

All those who have suggested that there must be A-League and college refs better than what we have can now see for themselves whether or not that is the case.

And the last time we had a ref doing his first MLS game was Jesse Johnson on 5/3/03 against Dallas, and was clearly not up to the task from the kickoff, most evident when Dema broke O'Brien's leg without even so much as a foul called.

[Short Irish Guy]

Originally Posted by Lanky134

And the last time we had a ref doing his first MLS game was Jesse Johnson on 5/3/03 against Dallas, and was clearly not up to the task from the kickoff, most evident when Dema broke O'Brien's leg without even so much as a foul called.

Because it wasn't a foul

[Red&Black]

are you sure he is a "new" ref and not part of an exchange program, like that scottish bastard who screwed us in the WC?

[MassachusettsRef]

Just to clarify, no one "comes from the A-League" in the sense that they are exclusively an A-League official. Since USSF does all the assigning for the country, referees are assigned across all leagues, unlike in baseball, hockey, basketball, etc.

For example, MLS referees routinely do A-League, PSL and even PDL middles. From time to time on the USL boards here you'll here a fan post that one of our FIFA referees has "been demoted" because he's working an A-League match. It's not the case at all. Think about it: you have about 20 MLS referees and only 5 working a given week. Do you think they take off 2-3 weeks at a time (or more) and don't do any matches. I myself have worked with an MLS ref on a PSL game this year. And, if they don't have a pro assignment for a particularly weekend, MLS refs are always working Division 1 amateur matches back in their home areas.

The only exclusive group that exists is the MLS group. Before the year begins, there is an "MLS pool" established. Only these refs can work MLS games for the year. So, Hernandez has been part of the pool all year (he's American, not an exchange) and has already worked 4th official assignments. So while he is "new" in the sense that this is his first whistle assignment, he has not been "called up" from the A-League.

The A-League works as a direct feeder for MLS only insofar as the fact that, if a referee sees his A-League assignments exponentially increase over a year, he is more likely to gain entry into the MLS pool the year after. Conversely though, there have been referees who have been "in" the MLS pool, but not worked an MLS match for the entire season, because their lower assignments were not up to par.