05/23/2026 St Louis CITY vs Austin FC Energizer Park (2:30PM ET) REF: Pierre-Luc Lauziere AR1: Gerard-Kader Lebuis AR2: Diego Blas 4TH: Ricardo Fierro VAR: Carol Anne Chenard AVAR: Craig Lowry Minnesota United vs Real Salt Lake Allianz Field (4:30PM ET) REF: Tori Penso AR1: Brooke Mayo AR2: Kathryn Nesbitt 4TH: Amin Hadzic VAR: Armando Villarreal AVAR: Claudiu Badea - 100th AVAR Charlotte FC vs New England Revolution Bank of America Stadium (7:30PM ET) REF: Fotis Bazakos AR1: Walt Heatherly - 100th AR AR2: Ben Pilgrim 4TH: Elvis Osmanovic VAR: Kevin Stott AVAR: Joshua Patlak FC Cincinnati vs Orlando City TQL Stadium (7:30PM ET) REF: Rubiel Vazquez AR1: Cory Richardson AR2: Oscar Mitchell-Carvalho 4TH: Allen Chapman VAR: Ismir Pekmic AVAR: TJ Zablocki D.C. United vs CF Montréal Audi Field (7:30PM ET) REF: Filip Dujic AR1: Jeremy Kieso AR2: Matthew Nelson 4TH: Jon Freemon VAR: Jorge Gonzalez AVAR: Craig Lowry Chicago Fire vs Toronto FC Soldier Field (8:30PM ET) REF: Sergii Demianchuk AR1: Chris Wattam AR2: Kevin Klinger 4TH: Joe Surgan VAR: Michael Radchuk AVAR: Rhett Hammil Sporting Kansas City vs Red Bull New York Sporting Park (8:30PM ET) REF: Nabil Bensalah AR1: Eric Weisbrod AR2: Mike Nickerson 4TH: Malik Badawi VAR: Lukasz Szpala AVAR: Robert Schaap Nashville vs New York City FC GEODIS Park (8:30PM ET) REF: Alexis Da Silva AR1: Stefan Tanaka-Freundt AR2: Kali Smith 4TH: Sergii Boiko VAR: Kevin Terry Jr AVAR: Logan Brown Colorado Rapids vs FC Dallas Dick’s Sporting Goods Park (9:30PM ET) REF: Ismail Elfath AR1: Corey Parker AR2: Kyle Atkins 4TH: Victor Rivas VAR: Armando Villarreal AVAR: Claudiu Badea Portland Timbers vs San Jose Earthquakes Providence Park (9:30PM ET) REF: Timothy Ford AR1: Jose Da Silva AR2: Eduardo Jeff 4TH: Abdou Ndiaye VAR: Carol Anne Chenard AVAR: Mike Kampmeinert San Diego FC vs Vancouver Whitecaps Snapdragon Stadium (9:30PM ET) REF: Drew Fischer AR1: Micheal Barwegen AR2: Lyes Arfa 4TH: Calin Radosav VAR: Younes Marrakchi AVAR: Karsten Gillwald LA Galaxy vs Houston Dynamo Dignity Health Sports Park (10:30PM ET) REF: Lorenzo Hernandez AR1: Brian Dunn AR2: Stephen McGonagle 4TH: Cristian Campo Hernandez VAR: Kevin Stott AVAR: TJ Zablocki 05/24/2026 Columbus Crew vs Atlanta United ScottsMiracle-Gro Field (5PM ET) REF: Chris Penso AR1: Cameron Blanchard - 200th AR AR2: Jeremy Hanson 4TH: Ricardo Montero Araya VAR: Daniel Radford AVAR: Jonathan Johnson Inter Miami vs Philadelphia Union Nu Stadium (7PM ET) REF: Rosendo Mendoza AR1: Felisha Mariscal AR2: Brian Poeschel 4TH: Marcos DeOliveira II - 200th FO VAR: Younes Marrakchi AVAR: Joshua Patlak Los Angeles FC vs Seattle Sounders BMO Stadium (9PM ET) REF: Ramy Touchan AR1: Chris Elliott AR2: Tyler Wyrostek 4TH: Elijio Arreguin VAR: Lukasz Szpala AVAR: Rhett Hammil
I’m going to reflexively guess Radford. But I suppose a current CR who started as a FO might have it on pure longevity.
I think Alejandro Mariscal might have the most? Always thought it was harsh he got a billion 4O assignments in MLS and only like 3 whistles.
With the caveat that there are a number of unknown assignments from the early years... 1) Alejandro Mariscal - 220 2) Marcos DeOliveira - 199 3) Baldomero Toledo - 157 4) Fotis Bazakos - 150 5) Silviu Petrescu - 149 6) Daniel Radford - 147 7) Chico Grajeda - 139 8) Robert Sibiga - 117 9) Nima Saghafi - 115 10) Ricardo Salazar - 108
Most 4ths without any assigned whistles: 1) Daniel Radford - 147 2) Tyler Ploeger - 100 3) Younes Marrakchi - 90 4) Elvis Osmanovic - 84 5) Baboucarr Jallow - 71 6) Luis Diego Arroyo - 69 7) Matt Thompson - 66 8) Calin Radosav - 63 9) Thomas Snyder - 62 10) Kevin Terry Jr - 56
Technically Matt did not have a whistle assigned but he still stepped in once! Kinda surprised about Snyder. I watch USL Championship primary and he seems to be pretty steady from what I have seen but the same can be said for Osmanovic. Remember when USLC had to replay a match due to referee error a few years ago and they who did they pick for that famous minute 66 start? Osmanovic.
Man this is interesting to me. What is it that makes PRO (or any association) view referees as being worthy of dozens, or over a hundred fourth official slots but not ever getting to center a game? And since the refs specialize CR vs AR, it isn’t like they can just AR instead of 4O. I know the simple and obvious answer is probably “they aren’t good enough to center MLS but they deserve a reward for doing well at USLC” or whatever, but then if the ref gets injured, they step in to be center, when PRO presumably wouldn't consider them worthy...
Baboucar Jallow was working on field as an AR for PRO in MLS and then switched to the referee path and didn't get a whistle, so that's interesting. I remember Tyler Ploeger for being bigger than everyone on the field. He towered over every coach and substitut standing next to him with the sub board. Wasn't he around 6'6" and built like an NFL linebacker?
Things getting a little spicy towards the end of COL-DAL for Elfath. A Colorado substituted player got sent off for abusive language. Elfath was initially running over with the yellow in hand and then must have heard some magic words and gave a demonstrative straight red. Then a minute or two later in the 88th minute, compare this challenge by Navarro to the one for which he received his first yellow, I think he is very lucky to stay on the field and rather foolish for not learning from the first incident. If you look closely, Elfath was initially reaching for his YC, and then probably changed his mind upon realizing it would have been a second for the player.
There are probably different answers depending on the person. Some of those had people pushing them forward but, as you noted, coudn't quite break through. A few of them are just really good 4O. They know (knew) the players and coaches. They worked well with the team reps. The training staff likes(d) them, and the referees really like(d) them too. They genuinely did a good job as 4ths so that when they walked into locker rooms, it wasn't weird and didn't cause problems. Obviously some 4Os are slots used for development. But in a professional leaugue, some of it is as simple as wanting someone there who people like, who isn't going to screw up. Keep in mind, that a 4O in some of those cases is driving the crew, arranging dinner after the game, working with team reps, doing baisic things with the crew all the way down to catching odd uniform assignments or hotel changes or ball boy liasons and all that stuff, so having someoen who knows the town/stadium/crews is huge, and most of those guys on that list are/were exactly that kind of person. Again, that's not every 4th. Some are just refs on an off week. Some of them are guys trying to break into the league, and others are guys on their way out. But some of that list were dudes that were actually good at it, but in preseason games or training camp games or USL games they just didn't exude MLS Referee capabilities, but that doesn't undoe their effectivness on the side.
Lots of comments, from fans of both teams, on the officiating in Colorado tonight. Two PKs, a red card to a bench player, lots of lengthy (some might say time wasting) delays, etc. Not a great match for Elfath to head out for World Cup duty on.
This went the other way. Baboucarr was on the Referee track and switched to the AR track around 2018/2019. Still works both positions in college, is a national coach, and (most importantly) is a great guy.
It looks like he was coming over to give yellow on Rivas' recommendation and then was within earshot when Frederick said something directly to Rivas. It wasn't just a red; there was a level of emotion in that red that you don't typically see from Elfath (or many MLS refs, for that matter). I wouldn't be surprised to learn it was something quite unkind. Regardless, the unprofessionalism from the Colorado bench was apparent. What are multiple subs up doing complaining about timewasting to Parker? You can see him essentially turn around and mouth "sit down!" before Rivas even gets there. I'm gobsmacked by the two Navarro "challenges" and the one that led to the Aaronson dissent card. Has someone in Colorado been taught that you can just body check players before the ball arrives and it is fine? Seriously, the first one even has a hint of red for me... he just looks at him and lines him up as the ball sails overhead and the Colorado coach staff starts applauding as if he made some tactically brililant move and then is shocked when a foul is called and a yellow comes out. I don't get it. It's like the local U16 coach who thinks "fair shoulder to shoulder" means any upper body violence that isn't with an extended arm is fine. Yet these are professionals. As for Elfath, yeah, he definitely reached for yellow. I wonder what the order of operations was there. Did Parker ask for it and then Elfath changed his mind once it would be red? Did Elfath go yellow impulsively and then change his mind when Parker or someone else noted it would be red? Either way, not the best look. But having skimmed the highlights and saw what had just happened with the benches, I can imagine getting out of there without sending off the home captain had its virtues. I doubt the crew is losing sleep over the match heading into the World Cup, though. Being tested on what looked like a scrappy, annoying-to-officiate match could be a good thing. Reminds you to stay on your toes as you head to a different setting.
The sole of Mendoza's shoe in Miami-Philly has fallen off. His foot is sticking out of the boot. About a 2 minute stoppage to replace it. Bet he didn't have a backup for that.
They seemed to have shoes waiting for him as he reached the sideline, but they looked more like a players' multi-colored cleat rather than a traditional referee's black upper. I wonder where they came from? Perhaps he has some more traditional (i.e. non-black) warm-up cleats?
every professional player has at least 5 pair, making finding an immediate replacement pretty straightforward (also making the 4ths job that much harder) I suspect he had an extra pair of his own in the locker room for the second half