07/17/19 Atlanta United vs Houston Dynamo Mercedes-Benz Stadium (7PM ET) REF: Christopher Penso AR1: Brian Dunn AR2: Jeremy Kieso 4TH: Sergii Demianchuk VAR: Jon Freemon AVAR: Thomas Supple New England Revolution vs Vancouver Whitecaps Gillette Stadium (7PM ET) REF: Robert Sibiga AR1: Logan Brown AR2: Claudiu Badea 4TH: Thomas Snyder VAR: Alan Kelly AVAR: Jozef Batko Chicago Fire vs Columbus Crew SeatGeek Stadium (8PM ET) REF: Armando Villarreal AR1: Brian Poeschel AR2: Jose Da Silva 4TH: Lorant Varga VAR: Tim Ford AVAR: Benjamin Hall-Volpenhein Toronto FC vs New York Red Bulls BMO Field (8PM ET) REF: Silviu Petrescu AR1: Cory Richardson AR2: Gianni Facchini 4TH: Yusri Rudolf VAR: Guido Gonzales Jr AVAR: Robert Schaap 07/18/19 FC Cincinnati vs D.C. United Nippert Stadium (8PM ET) REF: Baldomero Toledo AR1: Adam Garner AR2: Jeremy Hanson 4TH: Elton Garcia VAR: Malik Badawi AVAR: Craig Lowry Portland Timbers vs Orlando City Providence Park (10PM ET) REF: Joe Dickerson AR1: Corey Rockwell AR2: Micheal Barwegen 4TH: Farhad Dadkho VAR: Allen Chapman AVAR: Joshua Patlak 07/19/19 LA Galaxy vs Los Angeles FC Dignity Health Sports Park (10PM ET) REF: Jair Marrufo AR1: Frank Anderson AR2: Ian Anderson 4TH: Michael Radchuk VAR: Kevin Stott AVAR: Fabio Tovar 07/20/19 Columbus Crew vs Montreal Impact MAPFRE Stadium (7:30PM ET) REF: Robert Sibiga AR1: CJ Morgante AR2: Michael Kampmeinert 4TH: Greg Dopka VAR: Ricardo Salazar AVAR: Eric Weisbrod Philadelphia Union vs Chicago Fire Talen Energy Stadium (7:30PM ET) REF: Rubiel Vazquez AR1: Jeremy Kieso AR2: Andrew Bigelow 4TH: Jon Freemon VAR: Kevin Terry Jr AVAR: Craig Lowry Toronto FC vs Houston Dynamoo BMO Field (7:30PM ET) REF: Alex Chilowicz AR1: Claudiu Badea AR2: Brian Poeschel 4TH: Baldomero Toledo VAR: Sorin Stoica AVAR: Thomas Supple Sporting Kansas City vs FC Dallas Children’s Mercy Park (8:30PM ET) REF: Alan Kelly AR1: Kathryn Nesbitt AR2: Jose Da Silva 4TH: Lukasz Szpala VAR: Chico Grajeda AVAR: Kyle Atkins Colorado Rapids vs New York City FC Dick’s Sporting Goods Park (9PM ET) REF: Christopher Penso AR1: Oscar Mitchell-Carvalho AR2: TJ Zablocki 4TH: Malik Badawi VAR: Younes Marrakchi AVAR: Jonathan Johnson Real Salt Lake vs Minnesota United Rio Tinto Stadium (10PM ET) REF: Dave Gantar AR1: Eric Boria AR2: Felisha Mariscal 4TH: Elvis Osmanovic VAR: Geoff Gamble AVAR: Cameron Blanchard Vancouver Whitecaps vs San Jose Earthquakes BC Place (10PM ET) REF: Silviu Petrescu AR1: Brian Dunn AR2: Gianni Facchini 4TH: Alejandro Mariscal VAR: Tim Ford AVAR: Kevin Klinger 07/21/19 Atlanta United vs D.C. United Mercedes-Benz Stadium (4PM ET) REF: Allen Chapman AR1: Jason White AR2: Micheal Barwegen 4TH: Nima Saghafi VAR: Jorge Gonzalez AVAR: Robert Schaap FC Cincinnati vs New England Revolution Nippert Stadium (6PM ET) REF: Kevin Stott AR1: Corey Rockwell AR2: Cory Richardson 4TH: Greg Dopka VAR: Ricardo Salazar AVAR: Peter Manikowski Orlando City vs New York Red Bulls Exploria Stadium (7:30PM ET) REF: Armando Villarreal AR1: Logan Brown AR2: Gjovalin Bori 4TH: Sergii Demianchuk VAR: Rosendo Mendoza AVAR: Jeff Muschik Seattle Sounders vs Portland Timbers CenturyLink Field (9:30PM ET) REF: Drew Fischer AR1: Jeremy Hanson AR2: Matthew Nelson 4TH: Alejandro Mariscal VAR: Tim Ford AVAR: Kevin Klinger
Penso sent off Alberth Elis in the 6th minute tonight for violent conduct. Showed a yellow first for dissent after Elis kicked the ball at the AR following a call, which is already borderline, and then Elis decided it would be a good idea to go chest to chest for the VC red. Elis was also one of the three Dynamo players sent off by Penso in Houston last year (vs SKC if I recall).
That was the one where he couldn't get to the RRA due to spectators throwing stuff, early August, right? He had come with the crew to say "Hello" at the advanced clinic that day.
We are about two-thirds of the way through the MLS season, and so far there haven't been any rookie center referees in MLS in 2019. I'm surprised by this, but wondering whether maybe I shouldn't be. There were three in 2018 and three in 2017, but maybe they didn't do their first games until later in the season than this. In any case, there are 15 people who have been center referees in NWSL this season and also have been fourth officials in MLS this season. I was expecting that one or two of them would be assigned as center referees in MLS sooner or later, but so far it hasn't happened.
You'll see a rookie center right at the start of August. I suspect you'll see more later in the season on certain matches that might have less impact on the playoff race--but that's just a guess based on some of the initial assignments in previous years. But to the larger point, the fact that Dickerson, Touchan, Ford and Vazquez (with Gonzales Jr. and Rivas also having some opportunities) have become regular parts of the rotation is a big story. For several years, PRO seemed to have no bench. Referees are aging out, being pushed out, or failing fitness while the league expands and implemented VAR, so it's important to not just identify the new talent, but develop and hire it. PRO has finally done that. Also, look at the 4ths this week. There are 18 matches. Other than Toledo and Saghafi, none of them are regular centers. Remove Mariscal, who has been a 4th a long time, and you have 12 officials who you likely had never even heard of 2 years ago unless you're a serious USL fan or a referee friend/nerd. That's remarkable. So not only has a bench been identified and developed, but it's really big now. It's going to be interesting to see which ones get the opportunity at rookie whistles (after the one already assigned), because there's so many to choose from.
Going to be very interesting to see what the suspension is here. I fully expect the argument from fans and certain league personnel that it shouldn't be more than one game because it wasn't truly "violent." Good for Penso drawing that line. I fear there are other referees that would not have.
And we're probably past the point at which it is a waste of electrons to suggest that MLS should join the rest of the world in automatic longer suspensions for VC....
Only major league in the world, I believe, where there's even a chance that Dwyer and Elis could only sit one match each.
It's not a fear, it's 100% fact. Of the current roster, I can safely say that Toledo and Elfath are probably the only ones that would give it 100%. No way would Marrufo give a red card there and I have my doubts on Kelly as well. Sagafi had a similar incident earlier this year on a game in Atlanta where a player bumped him as he was issuing a yellow and did nothing about it (3:50 mark of the video)
So no one was watching when Toledo called a PK against a defender in the wall whose arm was folded into his body and then let the PK stand when the person taking it completely stopped mid run-up? Something I don't understand about the Laws, or was that a dire sequence?
The kick taker didn't feint the kick IMO because he wasn't quite in kicking distance when he stopped the run up. Borderline, but I'd say legal. Barely. I still need to see the handling. People on Twitter said he moved his arm which kinda sounds like the sort of thing refs like to warn the wall about.
He did move the arm from his side to in front of his chest, where the ball was about to hit him. I think I've learned something I didn't know about PKs -- I'd always heard that stutter-steps were pushing it and outright stopping at any point in the run-up was an infringement. Now that I've looked at the Laws, I guess I was wrong -- along with pretty much every TV commentator I've heard. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised by the latter.
Penso’s mechanics when issuing the VC red were really good. He made sure he was out of arm’s reach as he issued the card following the contact. Had he issued the card while still in close range, he opens himself up for additional physical contact.
The kicker stopping in the run up on a PK is (or was--I don't know if it changed) an offense in high school soccer
Not really, but I recognize that they're being instructed to consider this deliberate handling. I've always felt that it's a bit harsh to punish what I often consider self-preservation instinct.
Can you point to such instruction online somewhere? Just to clarify, I'm asking a serious question. Not trying to be a jerk. To me, Arriola's arm is literally plastered to his body. It moves, from protecting the family jewels to protecting his chest, but honestly, if the ball doesn't hit his arm (if it even does - the video is terrible quality) it would have hit his nipple. It's crazy to me to think a person standing in a wall with his arm across his chest should be penalized if the ball hits him in the arm. But if there is guidance out there saying this should be called, I'm interested in seeing it so I can learn...
It is specifically called out as not being an infraction under HS rules, FWIW (which is very little indeed in an MLS referee forum).