AFAIK, the reserve matches are now mostly USL games anyway. The 4ths do center these games, but still spend too many games as 4ths on MLS games. PH
Boo hoo.. but let me explain. Can't say I'm not just as 'upset' about it as you (if you even are) but at the same time it's their choice to go down that road knowing everything you just mentioned. They are free to choose a more stable and promising career path and not accept that risk. Also, MLS is a business and to be honest I don't think they owe referee development much of anything. Just my opinion which I'm sure others would disagree with. Their fans are their livelihood and if the billionaire owners think foreign refs with English accents will appease all the idiotic drivel (at least as far as the LOTG are concerned) that watches and attends their games or maybe get a few more calls 'correct' then it just is what it is. Keep in mind those same morons are the ones that pay anyone with an English accent to coach their kids club team whether they ever played or not.
For every referee they bring from one of Ye Olde Countries is three to five potential referees Over Here whose development will never happen. There is no lack of refereeing talent and developmental capacity Over Here as it is. Those who forget the past, etc. etc.
Would you make the same argument for players? None of these furrin players because that just takes spots away from our boys, and that means that local talent doesn't get developed? If not, why not?
Yesterday on one of the MLS games they were talking about the low percentage of US players in the MLS and wondering if that was bad. I think they said 33% are US players. The EPL requires 8 "home grown" players on each 25 man squad, so close to what is current in the MLS. Home grown apparently refers to having been playing for an English club at least three years by age 21.
Home grown isn't the same as "American". We see that with referees too, many of whom may have come through the USSF referee program but most certainly were not US born. The stats on players are interesting but I also would have expected this given the way green cards are acquired and the need for more talent. The good thing is that we have a better pipeline for players now via the academies. I think most of this driven by player acquisition costs and a desire for affordable talent, but we should see more domesticly developed players come through. The same is true for referees. The pipeline is different now. There are far more NASL and USL games now and the quality of these games is higher and assigned differently. It'll take longer for referees to make MLS and I don't think that's a bad thing. In the meantime, if an experienced referee or two come over I really don't see it as the end of the world. It's not a sustainable model and it fills a gap allowing the next few pushing for MLS to learn at a lower level. Another thing to keep in mind, it's not going to be easy to find the "right" foreign referees anyway. To come here, a referee has to give up the FIFA badge and chances at the World Cup, champions league, cops lib, etc. Additionally, it's different in MLS. The travel, the climate differences, varied styles of play, mix of talent and the like present challenges that a referee in a smaller more homogeneous country will not experience. Even in England with all the foreign talent and managers, the game is played in a very English way by and large. It may be very tough to adapt. Practically speaking, you can't bring that many over, but I understand the willingness to experiment. As a consumer of MLS's product, I'm really not too sussed about the potential for the lowest rated referee(s) getting muscled out by someone with more experience and a better track record. I don't shed tears for American players or coaches who get squeezed out either.