['Chopper']

According to The Times' Danny Baker there are only 4, yes 4!, professional referees in MLS.

How can a league like MLS expect to be taken seriously when the officials are, literally, a bunch of amateurs?

In his column, Baker says:

How many full-time soccer referees do you think there are in the entire United States? Well, I’ll tell you. Four. That’s right — four. Four blokes cover the whole thing.

I find that incredible. I thought the US was supposed to be something like a soccer superpower these days, no? Yet there it is — in America, professional football referees are outnumbered by surviving members of The Partridge Family. Amazing. I have just watched a short film featuring this hardy quartet “getting ready for a new season” and it was without question the most boring thing I have seen.

There’s nothing to explain how any of them came to be a member of this Gang Of Four at all. Three of the refs — Messrs Salazar, Toldeo, Marrufo — seem to be first generation descendants of families from traditional footballing nations but the fourth, Terry Vaughn, is a little harder to fathom. As a recent, rather breathless, US article on Vaughn has it, “Iowan Terry Vaughn has been involved in soccer his whole life. Who knew soccer would be the vehicle that could take him all over the world?! Vaughn has not forgotten his Iowa roots. He still resides in the Mount Vernon area, even though on a given day he and his whistle might be in Los Angeles, Washington DC, Guatemala or even Des Moines!”

Vaughn himself also talks in a way I simply can’t imagine our own domestic whistlers doing. Here he is on what sort of kit he favours: “Black. Definitely black. It’s sharp and puts some weight on you.” On the toughest decisions: “I’ll have to go with disallowing a goal. Everybody’s celebrating and because of me the emotions are gonna go from one side to the other — real quick!” On where he ultimately would like to work: “I’d say Bundesliga. I took German in high school and I’ve always had a thing for the Germans.” Frankly I can’t see any referee in this country ever saying something like that — out loud anyway.

And how about another of this Band Of Brothers — this time Baldomero Toledo — pondering his greatest wish: “I would love to be able to fly. If I was able to fly I could touch the stars.” A poetic ideal, for sure, but not the sort of thing you want the coarser element at Bramall Lane knowing about you. And here he is again, this time on what would constitute his perfect job. “The English Premier League. It is one of the top leagues and the players all respect the referees.” Uh, Mr Toldeo . . . I’d just stick with that first dream if I were you.

Is MLS just a final pay-day for the fading elite or will it grow to be a 'serious' place to play professional football?

[SYoshonis]

How can you expect that we care about what you take seriously? Please hide your jealousy that most MLS clubs would beat Hearts 7-8 times out of 10 meetings a little better in the future. TIA.

[peabrainedidiot]

Originally Posted by 'Chopper'

According to The Times' Danny Baker there are only 4, yes 4!, professional referees in MLS.

How can a league like MLS expect to be taken seriously when the officials are, literally, a bunch of amateurs?

In his column, Baker says:

How many full-time soccer referees do you think there are in the entire United States? Well, I’ll tell you. Four. That’s right — four. Four blokes cover the whole thing.

I find that incredible. I thought the US was supposed to be something like a soccer superpower these days, no? Yet there it is — in America, professional football referees are outnumbered by surviving members of The Partridge Family. Amazing. I have just watched a short film featuring this hardy quartet “getting ready for a new season” and it was without question the most boring thing I have seen.

There’s nothing to explain how any of them came to be a member of this Gang Of Four at all. Three of the refs — Messrs Salazar, Toldeo, Marrufo — seem to be first generation descendants of families from traditional footballing nations but the fourth, Terry Vaughn, is a little harder to fathom. As a recent, rather breathless, US article on Vaughn has it, “Iowan Terry Vaughn has been involved in soccer his whole life. Who knew soccer would be the vehicle that could take him all over the world?! Vaughn has not forgotten his Iowa roots. He still resides in the Mount Vernon area, even though on a given day he and his whistle might be in Los Angeles, Washington DC, Guatemala or even Des Moines!”

Vaughn himself also talks in a way I simply can’t imagine our own domestic whistlers doing. Here he is on what sort of kit he favours: “Black. Definitely black. It’s sharp and puts some weight on you.” On the toughest decisions: “I’ll have to go with disallowing a goal. Everybody’s celebrating and because of me the emotions are gonna go from one side to the other — real quick!” On where he ultimately would like to work: “I’d say Bundesliga. I took German in high school and I’ve always had a thing for the Germans.” Frankly I can’t see any referee in this country ever saying something like that — out loud anyway.

And how about another of this Band Of Brothers — this time Baldomero Toledo — pondering his greatest wish: “I would love to be able to fly. If I was able to fly I could touch the stars.” A poetic ideal, for sure, but not the sort of thing you want the coarser element at Bramall Lane knowing about you. And here he is again, this time on what would constitute his perfect job. “The English Premier League. It is one of the top leagues and the players all respect the referees.” Uh, Mr Toldeo . . . I’d just stick with that first dream if I were you.

Is MLS just a final pay-day for the fading elite or will it grow to be a 'serious' place to play professional football?

yawn*

How long was it before the FA had full time officials?
Your league is decades older and we are getting there a hell of a lot faster than the epl and FA did.
we're an 11 year old league, dumb ass.
if we're not a serious league, why is the epl starting to snatch up young american talent?

No one here is fooled, this is a "let's bash MLS thread".

my reply is you are a stupid cvnt!

[denver_mugwamp]

All the officials in the German Football League are considered amateurs since they have other jobs. Oh the shame! But I suppose they've gotten used to not being taken seriously.

[SYoshonis]

Originally Posted by denver_mugwamp

All the officials in the German Football League are considered amateurs since they have other jobs. Oh the shame! But I suppose they've gotten used to not being taken seriously.

Well, one can certainly see how an SPL devotee would look down his nose at the amateurs in the Bundesliga.

[peabrainedidiot]

Originally Posted by SYoshonis

Well, one can certainly see how an SPL devotee would look down his nose at the amateurs in the Bundesliga.

how may refs does it take to officiate a league that only has 2 teams?

[Breakwood]

I guess the NFL shouldn't be taken seriously also.

[BobyOne]

Just so we can put this thread to rest: "professional" means that the referees do not have any other means of support outside of refereeing (i.e. it's their only job and they can focus on it). It DOES NOT refer to referees that work professional games. US Soccer has had a deep pool of referees for years, and has sent their referees to the World Cup regularly.

Most referees are amateurs because most countries football federations do not have the money to pay them full time. This includes large countries like Germany. England FA has paid their referees full time only since 2001. (http://www.iht.com/articles/2001/08/...er_ed3__10.php ). In fact, Pier Luigi Colina (you know, the bald guy), considered one of the best referees for years before retiring, is a financial consultant.

US Soccer is jumping into the professional refereeing group as well. Considering that the number of federations in that group can probably be counted on the fingers of two hands, you should be congratulating us, not asking us how to be taken seriously.

Next time before you put up a dumbass post, think. I suggest that Mr. Danny Baker does some research before writing columns too.

[Dr. Foosball™]

Your a dumba$$, Chopper.

BTW, we are better at your football than you are at ours, bi-otch.

[sublicon]

Originally Posted by 'Chopper'

Is MLS just a final pay-day for the fading elite or will it grow to be a 'serious' place to play professional football?

Unfortunately, the idea that the number of professional referees we have is somehow a measure of how good we are at the game or how serious we are to be taken by the world, is moronic.

F**k off to your own boards, son.