Only CONCACAF can bring 17 referees into a tournament with 18 group stage matches. Referees Aguilar (SLV) Bejarano (CRC) Fischer (CAN) Garcia (MEX) Geiger (USA) Guerrero (MEX) Lopez (GUA) Marrufo (USA) Martinez (CUB) Matamoros (HON) Moncada (HON) Montero (CRC) Pitti (PAN) Ramos (MEX) Rodriguez (HON) Villarreal (USA) Ward (SKN) So all seven WC candidates are there, though the potential reserves of Legister (JAM) and Castro (HON) aren't (yet three Honduran referees are there!). Frank Anderson, CJ Morgante, Corey Rockwell are the three American ARs there. No Canadians (I imagine Fletcher can't take the time). The quasi-duo system is baffling, but it's a function of politics still ruling CONCACAF as you have ARs from Nicaragua and Trinidad & Tobago attending, so you can't do full trios. Note that Elfath is at the tournament as part of some development group with a bunch of CONCACAF refs I haven't previously heard of. Since the American referees can only be in Group A and C (and Marrufo can't do Mexico) and they'll all get one match each (with a 1 in 17 chance of getting a second in the group stage), you can try to guess which matches they get. I'd say: Geiger: Jamaica v El Salvador Marrufo: Costa Rica v Canada Villarreal: Honduras v French Guiana Assuming a US v Mexico Final, which is admittedly a big assumption in this edition of the tournament, I think you're looking at Pitti or Montero doing the Final. With not much on the line and B teams in place, there's no real need for Aguilar or Lopez so this would be a chance to let one of the other guys step up. And if the US or Mexico fails to make it, that opens the door to one of their referees.
17 referees for 18 games! I guess Brian Hall wants to make sure his referees are not over worked and are fresh for the knockout stages. If you are going to be bringing that many referees, why not cut one of the Mexican, American and Honduran referees and bring in a Jamaican, Trinidadian (SP?) or Puerto Rican referee and get them and their program some experience? Get a referee from a small Caribbean country some experience. Get them on Martinique vs. USA or Mexico vs. Curacoa or Costa Rica vs. French Guiana? Hopefully Aguilar gets the Final. I don't think he has done it in a while... On a serious note, I'm kind of hoping he gets it again. He's done it the last three times and also done the absurd Playoff Cup for the Confederations Cup birth. So why not keep going with the "hot hand" and give it to him a fourth/fifth straight time?
UEFA had 18 referees for 36 EURO GS matches. They could have 12 referees for the 18 matches. So half of them could have 2 GS matches.
Full appointments: Canada - French Guinea Referee: John Pitti (PANAMA) Assistant Referee 1: Gabriel Victoria (PANAMA) Assistant Referee 2: Ronald Bruna (PANAMA) Fourth Official: Jose Kellys (PANAMA) Honduras - Costa Rica Referee: Walter Lopez (Guatemala) Assistant Referee 1: Gerson Lopez (Guatemala) Assistant Referee 2: Hermenerito Leal (Guatemala) Fourth Official: Joel Aguillar (San Salvador)
Referees in Game #1 are wearing the new Official Sports jerseys. Looks like CONCACAF is not using Nike any longer.
USA : Panama - GUERRERO (MEX) I guess a match like this where both teams are likely going through is a good place to "test" Mexico's #3. Garcia and Ramos will probably get more consequential games, such as they exist in the first round of this tournament.
Looks like they literally just placed patches over the USSF logos, doesn't it? Kind of embarrassing for OSI, but nonetheless a marketing coup for it.
what did people think of the lopes peformance last night. i thought he did a steady job. the players reacted well to him. he could have had a 2CT, but it worked out fine. was he at the last world cup
Thought Guerrero missed a PK in the 82nd minute, also quite surprised he managed to get through the game without a single card, as it was a pretty physical game. Missed a few throw-ins, but other than that good game from him, well managed.
I thought he was fine, nothing special, until that missed PK. It's a critical match incident that was wrong (in my opinion). Curious how he scored in the assessment.
That would've been a weak penalty kick to award since it was shoulder to shoulder and he was losing his balance anyway (if I remember right), and I say that as a U.S. fan. There really were no major issues in the game, so I'm sure he scored just fine.
So for the record, it's been... Martinique : Nicaragua - WARD (SKN) Curaçao: Jamaica - VILLARREAL (USA) Mexico : El Salvador - MONCADA (HON) If that assignment for Villarreal prevents Geiger from getting Jamaica (and I don't necessarily think it does, but it's possible) his first round assignment could be very interesting.
Villarreal got his turn today: 7/9 Jamaica - Curacao Referee: Armando Villarreal (United States) Assistant Referee 1: Frank Anderson (United States) Assistant Referee 2: Keytzel Corrales (Nicaragua) Fourth Official: Ismail Elfath (United States) Mexico - El Salvador Referee: Oscar Moncada (Honduras) Assistant Referee 1: Christian Ramirez (Honduras) Assistant Referee 2: Jesus Tabora (Honduras) Fourth Official: Hector Said Martinez (Honduras)
Looking at the Honduran refs on the Mexico/El Salvador game - doesn't look like the USSF logo is underneath the tournament patch. That logo is pretty big with a large black circle area that would stick out on either side of the rectangular patch on the right sleeve. Plus, the shorts have "Gold Cup" on the front of the right leg. Looks like OSI made some special ones just for this tournament. Pretty cool to see them all wearing the same thing we do.
Martinique - Nicaragua: W So you still believe that Geiger will get Jamaica - El Salvador or they have the luxury to give him a match of lower importance?
You are correct. They custom made these jerseys for the Gold Cup. The shorts are the same, with the Gold Cup logo on them. The shirts have no US Soccer logo and an enlarged Official Sports emblem on the pocket and the back of the jersey. Official Sports has also provided two polos for classroom sessions, training shirts for fitness and field work, a track suit, and a rolling suitcase for our gear. Everything provided has both the OSI and Gold Cup logos.
Since it can't be a Mexican, Aguilar or likely Lopez now, I reason it's either an American or Montero. But guessing the Gold Cup assignments in the first round is very difficult because what counts as an "important" match is often not clear until the third matchday, since 8 of 12 teams advance.
So Moncada last night, he didn't act on the infamous Mexican chant as they did at the confederations cup. Was the instruction here different? It seemed that each inaction caused it become louder and and louder.I thought this was going to be dealt with?
Thinking about this a bit more, it's almost impossible to ensure a team doesn't see a referee from the same country twice. Given there are 3 Mexicans, 3 Hondurans, and 3 American officials, for it to work the only possibility (I believe) is to ... - Have both remaining American referees work the same matchday in Group A (because Villarreal already worked Group C and the US is in Group B). - Have both remaining Mexican referees work the other matchday in Group A (because Guerrerro already worked Group B and Mexico is in Group C). - Have both remaining Honduran referees work the same matchday in Group B (because Moncada already worked Group C and Honduras is in Group A). Literally any deviation from those three assignment outcomes guarantees a team will see a referee from the same country twice if you hold to the rule that a referee can't officiate in his own country's group. So I tend to think we'll see teams see the same nationality twice, because I can't imagine this was fully planned for.
Dealt with during the match? Or post-game? I've heard the latter (from FIFA--not sure about CONCACAF). You read something about it being dealt with in real-time?
So what I read was that the referees at the confed cup were to stop the match so that an announcement could be made stating that the match would be terminated if it persisted and that this took place during one of the first two Mexico appearances, effectively stopping it cold. I may have misread, but that is what I was expecting to take place here and given the rather muted chants early I think the fans expected this as well. The fines have done absolutely nothing thus far.
As I was watching on TV at full speed, my first reaction was that was a foul and therefore PK. Was surprised that the announcers agreed with non-call. Then I watched it over and over on my TIVO and my opinion did not change. I saw the defender behind the forward and a push in the back. And if that does not happen, there is an excellent offensive opportunity. I understand that this was not a clear scoring chance and I suspect some refs shy away from calling PKs in that case (especially late in a tie game). That is the only reason I see for not calling the PK.