Conference Semifinals Chicago - D.C.: Toledo / Monje / Corro / Salazar New York - New England: Marrufo / Strickland / Tovar / Batko Dallas - Houston: Stott / Gansner / Lowry / Kennedy Kansas City - Chivas: Prus / Barkey / Fereday / Gonzalez
MassRef is too busy celebrating the Red Sox, Patriots, Celtics, Boston College and the Revs...Oh to be a Boston Sports Fan. Someday, my small market teams will dominate (at least when they drop to minor leagues and keep their current rosters!)
Technically, the Bruins are a playoff team right now. And UMass is undefeated in D1-AA football (only loss coming to BC). But it's work, not sports, that is keeping me busy. And for the hell of it, I would guess Hall-Salazar-Weyland-Vaughn as the combo of refs for the second legs.
Well at least I'm consistently wrong. Odd that Marrufo and Toledo have two games already. Good for Geiger, though; I believe this is his first playoff game.
2nd Leg Houston - Dallas: Toledo / Wienckowski / Clement / Heron D.C. - Chicago: Marrufo / Tovar / Supple / Prus New York - New England: Okulaja / Gansner / Vasoli / Grajeda Chivas - Kansas City: Geiger / Quisenberry / Taylor / Weyland Eastern Conferfence Championship New England - Chicago Stott / Quisenberry / Lowry / Hall Western Conference Championship Houston - Kansas City: tba
Haha, no coup or usurping. Just posting the assignments in his 'absence' since I also find it interesting.
Ok, looks like I can stand by my pre-playoffs prediction, since none of them are working Conference Finals: Toledo/Fereday/Supple/Weyland Prus seems to be the only other legitimate contender.
Vaughn not Okulaja for the 4th according to mlsnet. And, despite everything I have said prior, I am going with okulaja for the final. No idea why...just a hunch
Smart money is on Prus. And for those who haven't checked the pro-site yet, Okulaja is the 4th tonight.
That's a good crew. It's nice that Fereday gets to work an MLS Cup Final with Wienckowski. Fereday definitely brought him along under his wing (I think, at one point, Fereday assumed that Wienckowski would "replace" him on the panel, so it was nice in the first place for them to hold the FIFA badge at the same time). Anyway, to work that game together in DC will be great for them both, I'm sure.
Interesting that no-one from the full-time group is used. What happened to Salazar and Vaughn? Only one 4th appointment each during the playoffs. One would think that those on the FIFA list and full time officials should be selected ahead of those who are not, if the former are supposed to be our best referees. None of this makes much sense, but then neither does much of what MLS does with the refereeing anyway, so I guess its just business as usual!