http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/t/match/index.html?st=zone&zone=ncc&tm=all&ym=all 8/18 USA at JAM - William Mattus Vega (Costa Rica) PAN at SLV - Mauricio Navarro (Canada) 9/4 SLV at USA - Neal Brizan (Trinidad & Tobago) PAN at JAM - Carlos Batres (Guatemala) 9/8 USA at PAN - Marco Rodriguez (Mexico) JAM at SLV - Gilberto Alcala (Mexico) US refs: 8/18 - Trinidad & Tobago at St. Vincent/Grenadines - Terry Vaughan 9/5 - Costa Rica at Guatemala - Kevin Stott William Mattus (Vega) was a WC2002 ref, but I really can't find much reference to him with the US above the youth level. Neal Brizan called the US game in Grenada. He also called the 4-0 asskicking by Mexico that elminated our U23s from the Olympics. Marco Rodriguez just called the Copa America semifinal between Brazil and Uruguay. He was the referee for the U17 tourney in St. Louis in 2001 where the US had to take a PK 3 times (encroachment called on both teams).
Thanks for posting these, Andy. It's sort of a tangent to this thread, but I hope Brian Hall gets back soon. IMO, he really helps our international reputation. Rodriguez (a.k.a Chiqui-Dracula) did the recent US-Denmark game, IIRC, which didn't win him many friends ... he's very young, though, so we'd better get used to him. Hopefully our coaches are aware of that encroachment on PK's thing; I'm pretty sure he called an encroachment in a first-round Copa America game, too.
Chiqui-Dracula is the one who gave phantom calls benefiting Chivas in the recent Mexican playoffs. Also, the Univision announcers were baffled by his reffing the Copa seminfinal--they thought he had been one of the most controversial refs of the tournament. NOT good news on that one.
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/story.jsp?story=526775 "GERRY Armstrong today described Neil Brizan as the worst referee he has EVER seen following a shambolic performance by the Trinidad & Tobago official in the dramatic 1-1 draw between Northern Ireland and Barbados."
Yeah, it really looks like the U.S. has got the pick of the litter to start the semifinal round with.
The problem with Chiqui-Dracula is that he likes to be a protagonist. I guarantee it that he will make his presence known.