I know you guys do ref analysis threads, so here's the info for MLS Cup: CR - Michael Kennedy SAR - Nate Clement JAR - Kermit Quinsenberry 4th - Abbey Okulaja Also, Okulaja is MLS Referee of the Year. All info can be found in the game guide, here: http://www.mlsnet.com/pdf/cup_gameguide.pdf Referee Thread Index
Re: MLS Cup Referee Team Kennedy seems to have learned how to control backtalking players a bit better, which was a huge weakness of his last year. I just hope for consistency so that we aren't 11 v 12. GM
Re: MLS Cup Referee Team What is the rational for not having the supposed ref of the year (nothing to brag about in mls) be in the center for the championship game.
Re: MLS Cup Referee Team I'm also sorry that Okaluja is not the main ref. He did an admirable job in the KC-LA game. When things got rough and chippy, he talked to the players and then let them play. He kept the cards in the pocket until a player misbehaved severely after a counseling. The players seemed to respect his control of the game. Even the diving fish Ruiz kept his mouth shut around Okaluja so he must be good.
Re: MLS Cup Referee Team This is wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong. Kennedy has not centered a DC game at all this year and was only the 4th for our first game of the year. Conversely he's been involved in 4 centers and 2 4th's for KC games this year. He was a center 3 times last season for DC and once as a 4th. I know DC has had some problems with him in the past, before I started watching the ref's a little harder so I can't be specific. But I just find it really odd that they would schedule someone who hasn't been there for a couple of DC games this year. To maybe know how some players will react and that words might be a better tool than cards. It's amazing to watch some of these guys do WCQ's or international friendlies. They seem to be different ref's in those situations. Hopefully Kennedy will realize this is for all the marbles and it will be a total pro job from whistle to whistle. Thx, Jay! Sat, Apr 3, 2004 04:00 PM (ET) San Jose Earthquakes @ D.C. United RFK Stadium, Washington, DC Stott, Kevin Lowry, Craig Barkey, Gregory 4TH-R Kennedy, Michael (ISO) Tamberino, Michael G Bratsis, Angelo Sat, Jun 19, 2004 07:30 PM (ET) Kansas City Wizards @ New England Revolution Gillette Stadium, Foxboro, MA Kennedy, Michael Vergara, George Salman, Bahij A Simmons, Erich (ISO) Breetveld, Jack D Usher, Fred Wed, Jul 28, 2004 08:30 PM (ET) Metrostars @ Kansas City Wizards Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, MO Kennedy, Michael Taylor, Steven Kaplan, Kenneth Broockerd, Bronson (ISO) Hollingsworth, Holly H Wolmerath, Heinz Fri, Sep 10, 2004 09:30 PM (ET) Kansas City Wizards @ Colorado Rapids Invesco Field, Denver, CO Kennedy, Michael Fereday, Robert Bragg, David Tobon, Hector (ISO) Bettmann, Rudy Smith, Pat Wed, Sep 22, 2004 07:30 PM (Local) Chicago Fire @ Kansas City Wizards Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, MO Open Cup Finals Championship Game Vaughn, Terry W Clement, Nathan Barkey, Gregory Kennedy, Michael Frankewicz, Casey Sat, Oct 2, 2004 10:00 PM (ET) Kansas City Wizards @ Los Angeles Galaxy The Home Depot Center, Carson, CA Kennedy, Michael Strickland, Chris Eddy, Richard Seitz, Kari (ISO) Sarfaraz, Nasser Olson, Steve Fri, Nov 5, 2004 08:30 PM (ET) Los Angeles Galaxy @ Kansas City Wizards Arrowhead Stadium , Kansas City , MO. 2004 MLS Playoffs Western Conference Final Okulaja, Abiodun Supple, Thomas Taylor, Steven Kennedy, Michael Last Year MLS Sat, Apr 19, 03 7:30 PM (ET) Chicago Fire @ D.C. United RFK Stadium, Washington, DC Valenzuela, Ricardo Lowry, Craig Fereday, Robert Kennedy, Michael (ISO) Bober , James J. MLS Wed, Jun 11, 03 9:30 PM (ET) D.C. United @ Colorado Rapids Invesco Field, Denver, CO Kennedy, Michael Clement, Nathan McCaslin, Scott Chouaf, Ben (ISO) Yant, Kevin Baharmast, Esse Other Sat, Aug 30, 03 7:30 PM (Local) El Salvador National Team @ D.C. United RFK Stadium, Washington DC Kennedy, Michael Clement, Nathan Fereday, Robert Stead, Daniel MLS Sun, Sep 28, 03 4:00 PM (ET) NY/NJ Metrostars @ D.C. United RFK Stadium, Washington, DC Kennedy, Michael Itaya, Roger Salman, Bahij A Stutt, Mike W (ISO) Olazagasti, Milton Wolmerath, Heinz Silva, Herb (ISO)
Yes. First and foremost, the people who select the OSI Referee of the Year and the assignors for MLS (namely Paul Tamberino and Esse Baharmast) are not the same people. In the eyes of the assignors, Kennedy very well may be "referee of the year". Some secondary reasons: 1. Okulaja is fairly new, this only being his second year in the league. The assignment as 4th official is half "reward" for having a good year and half "preparation" for the future, when he will almost assuredly get an MLS Cup. 2. It doesn't look good to have a national referee (and not a FIFA referee) on MLS Cup. FIFAs are supposed to be our top referees. If a FIFA is qualified and available, he will get the match. To my knowledge, Paul Tamberino is the only non-FIFA to referee an MLS Cup (and even he was a FIFA assistant). 3. Okulaja refereed the Western Conference final. He wasn't going to get back-to-back games. 4. Kennedy is reaching retirement age. That in itself is not a reason to give him the match. However, the fact that he hasn't had the game before, coupled with the fact that he has been (by my own observations and many on these boards here) the #1 or #2 referee in the league this year, would put him over someone like Okulaja, who will have several opportunities to work a final in the future. Again, this is a minor, minor concern compared to the others. What I'm basically saying is that if Okulaja and Kennedy were seen as "even", then this would almost certainly be the tiebreaker.
I've seen Michael Kennedy ref here in K.C. both in outdoor and indoor soccer games. I used to joke that ithe game will get chippy, then a fight will break out, then every little tap will get called and carded. It sadly has been enough that my friends cringe when he is introduced. Hope D.C. can stay above it....
... bump ... A few opening comments ... I still can't understand the grounds for six minutes of stoppage time, but it was a championship match and one team was down by a goal. I suppose there's some fairness to the trailing side in being generous as possible. You don't want to cut things short. It's something a ref shouldn't be stingy about in that situation ... even if it causes the winning side ulcers. He missed Eski's handball, but I don't think he was in position to see it. That said, I think the handball was much more obvious on TV than it was at the stadium. I'm not sure if anyone around me noticed it and we had a pretty good view. Kovalenko's red was justified. He absolutely made the proper call there.
It's easy to understand Kennedy not seeing Esky's handling, but Nate Clement should have been in a relatively good position to see it. ABC's camera work sucked (as usual), so I didn't get to see if Mike checked with Nate after the goal.
Full disclosure, I see the game through DC United eyes. However, when I watched the game, I believe that there was a difference in the way the game was officiated after DC went a man down in the area of clock management. Kennedy seemed to officiate the game not only to prevent time wasting but actually to get DC to play faster than normal. I though the ARs and Kennedy pushed DC to restart play since they were aware that time was running our on KC. In other words, they weren't just trying to prevent time wasting, they were trying to get DC to restart faster than is the norm. In that respect, I though the officials acted inappropriately, and penalized DC for time wasting with the 6 minute injury time. I certainly concede DC slowed the game down once they were down a man, but I did not beleive they took an inordinantly long amount of time to restart play.
Perhaps there was some guidance from Esse, etc., after the travesty of time management KTerry imposed on DC United in cheatin bob's defining game in 2003?? That was 180 degrees from what you describe above. GM