Canadian Officials Do Well in MLS Cup

Canadian Officials Do Well in MLS Cup

Silviu Petrescu of Waterloo, Ontario was the first Canadian to receive MLS Referee of the Year honors and he officiated the 2012 MLS Cup final. This was a surprising choice for me but Petrescu and the two assistant referees –– Daniel Belleau of Sainte-Hélène-de-Breakeyville, Québec and Darren Clark of Kamloops, British Columbia –– can be very happy with their performances. Los Angeles had two penalty kicks and two goals disallowed, all very important decisions, but a reason the media are talking about the players and not the officiating is the refs had all these calls correct. ...

See the whole article here, courtesy of Soccer America.

Kicking Back Comments: I'm with Randy here. I thought our neighbors to the North did well with this match. As a whole, these referees as a team, and as individuals did what they needed to to keep this match entertaining and focused on the players.

While there are always things to change, correct, or question, the folks at US Soccer, CSA, and PRO, should all be proud of the job done.

Well done guys.

HANDBALL!!!! Are you sure?

Monday Postgame: Handball law and order up for debate

A pair of 4-2 aggregate wins on Sunday sent the Houston Dynamo and the LA Galaxy back to an unexpected rematch of the MLS Cup 2011 final. The Dynamo got a first-half goal from Boniek García and absorbed a late strike by D.C. midfielder Branko Boskovic to professionally see out a 1-1 draw that was good enough to advance.

LA saw their 3-0 aggregate lead threatened by a fired-up Seattle side, which took a 2-0 lead before a disputed penalty delivered a pivotal goal to the visitors, who advanced despite losing the second leg 2-1.

In today’s Monday Postgame, John Bolster takes a closer look at that penalty decision, and the handball rule in general, which is surprisingly misunderstood. ...

See the full story here, from MLS.com

Kicking Back Comments: A very good article indeed. One telling passage was this:

"The trouble is, most fans, coaches, and players — even some at the professional level — really do forget all about it. Or, more accurately, they’ve never looked at the letter of the law as it’s written."

... and the author is right. Just because one is a professional player or coach, has absolutely no bearing on if they understand the LOTG. It has been my experience many do not.

This is not a knock on players, and just a little one on coaches as their focus is winning games, not mediating them. That said, I would think a healthy understanding would be good for that audience. After all, referees at the highest levels are expected to know the personalities, tactics, and antics of the players and the coaches. I am surprised that many on "the other side" do not take the same time to understand our craft.

Next time you hear a player or coach, at any level, cry "handball", it is fair to pause and add a healthy dose of skepticism before rendering a decision. As you know, it is much more than meets the eye.

No agreement ... No referees

NFL, officials’ union meeting ends without agreement

NEW YORK — The NFL and its on-field referees union failed to reach an agreement when they met Saturday, and the league said it’s proceeding with replacement officials.

The NFL locked out the referees in early June, then hired replacements, whose work in exhibition games has been heavily criticized. ...

See the whole story here, from the Washington Post.

Kicking Back Comments: One very interesting part of this article was the NFL's thought of hiring (1) full time crew to essentially be a liaison between the referees and the league. Now the less interesting part was the NFLRA's response of ... pay us better. That was pretty weak.

That said, the NFL should take a page out of the MLS playbook as they have employed "full time" referees for a while. The exact numbers has flexed a bit from what I understand (at one point it was up to 3 guys), but the concept is there.

From what I have heard on the street, these guys were getting paid in the order of $50K per year. It makes me wonder what the NFL is proposing for a salary.

Now, given the player minimum league salary for the NFL is $390K for 2012 (source), and for the MLS is $34K for 2012 (source), should it scale appropriately? Should a NFL "full timer" get $500K a year in salary? Or asked another way, why should a referee be paid near the level that a rookie is making?

Take a look at MLB unpires. After a stint in the minor leagues, these guys when they hit "the show" can make up to $300K annually ($140K is the average). NBA, about $120K on average annually. NHL is about the same as MLB on average.

Now lets be fair, MLB, NBA, and NHL schedules are grueling, NFL is not. Even MLS plays more than the NFL and its referees get paid far less. (NFL salaries are ~$25K - $70K, MLS is based on number of games, but assuming you do a match every week ... which you won't ... you would make about $19K (36 weeks * $600).

I'd be interested in the actual numbers from the NFL, but a game a week for 20 weeks or so ... $100K? That's pretty good, and the league can certainly afford it.

We'll see where this goes, and what happens after week 1 ... but I think there will be a "squeal point" in there from the NFL that will be directly proportional to the number of "blown calls" in real matches.

After all, its how GLT made it to reality.

MLS In Lance Armstrong's Corner

Donors standing by Lance's foundation

NEW YORK (AP)
Lance Armstrong's reputation may be in tatters but in the eyes of corporate and individual donors, his charity still wears an unsullied yellow jersey.

Armstrong announced last week he would no longer fight the doping allegations that have dogged him for years. He was subsequently stripped of his record seven Tour de France titles and banned from professional cycling. ...

See the whole story here, from Fox Sports.

Kicking Back Comments: From the article:

"And the home of Major League Soccer club Sporting Kansas City will continue to be called Livestrong Sporting Park. The club, which has promised to donate $7.5 million in stadium revenues to Armstrong's foundation over six years, says it will not consider renaming the Kansas City, Kan., venue."

I had a tough time convincing Anon the other week about how folks would separate the alleged drug cheat from the philanthropist. It would seem form this report, that is exactly is what is happening, and indeed is rallying support for Livestrong.

I'm glad to se it personally, as I have shared here, regardless of if the man cheated, or created a ring of cheaters, he is doing great stuff now, and should be recognized for that.

Couldn't have said it better

Olympic Soccer 2012: No US Men's Team, No American Interest

I'm as active a proponent of rational discussion as you'll find, and yet in the wake of Team USA's failure to qualify for the 2012 Olympic soccer tournament, even I'm left wondering: Where's the outrage?

Where's the prideful resentment? Where are the pitchfork demands for retribution?

More than that, did anyone even notice?

Let's revisit the facts. ...

See the whole story here, from Bleacher Report.

Kicking Back Comments: Where I depart company with the article (and I think the only part) is that the US Women are insanely popular (by US standards). So it would seem less about good soccer v. bad soccer (the US women while winning are not playing real attractive soccer), it would seem more about winning v. losing ... which was at the intended heart of my article, Where are all the men?

Obviously by not qualifying the men are de facto losers, but I will be curious to see what happens if the women get anything but gold.

I am guessing it will not be happy.

I don't disagree with the article that the US base is becoming more discriminating in its tastes for The Game, and the international game is plainly much better.

I still hone in on the fact though that America likes winners of all walks, and the US Men just will not get it done. Obviously not in the Olympics (as they did not qualify), but far beyond that.

It is interesting however, and I agree straggly here, that the media will make or break professional soccer in the US ... and right now an irony is by making the international game more popular, it has made the US version pale in comparison.

MLS Not as geriatric as it used to be

An Eye on Europe, but Choosing M.L.S.

The walls of Major League Soccer’s Fifth Avenue headquarters in Manhattan reflect its reputation in world soccer.

Posters and signed jerseys and balls of stars like Carlos Valderrama and David Beckham who have played out a last well-paid hurrah decorate the premises. The 17-year-old league has long been known as a place for soccer’s geriatrics to ease into retirement. Lately, however, M.L.S. has become a popular way station for young talent from throughout the Western Hemisphere seeking passage to Europe’s top ranks. ...

See the whole story here, courtesy of the NYT.

Kicking Back Comments: A good article that details the growth of the league, and a place for some young hopefuls to launch to the next step in their career. Also, as I noted earlier, a place for those older players to retire gracefully.

In all cases, it is not the cash cow other leagues, or sports are. Just take a looks at the MLS 2012 salaries. Good money for a very few notables to be sure, but frankly not a lot for most in what would be a very short tenure in the league.

When I talk to Jr. about it, and his desire to "go pro", I remind him to do his math homework first, they kick the ball in the yard.

What's that saying?

(MLS) Always the bridesmaid, never the bride?

Becks a no go for London

David Beckham fails to make Britain’s soccer team for London Olympics

WARSAW, Poland — Former England captain David Beckham has failed to make the British soccer team for the London Olympics.

The Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder made Britain coach Stuart Pearce’s shortlist of 35 but wasn’t selected for the final 18-man squad as one of three players over the age of 23 allowed to compete in the games. ...

See the full story here, courtesy of the Washington Post.

Kicking Back Comments: I feel for Becks a bit. This would seem to be an unceremonious end to a good career.

Have no fear, MLS is very good at keeping "geriatric" players going, and I am certain Beck's will be a fixture for some time to come.

Becks, POTUS, and Underwear

Well it was good to hear about the LA Galaxy visit to the White House the other day. It is a tradition that goes back for some time for presidents to greet winners of major sports competitions.

As some may recall I wrote about the kerfuffle that Tim Thomas caused when he chose not to visit the White House. Becks, excuse me Sir David Beckham, would never insult a world leader, or his team in that way.

Apparently POTUS took a few jabs at Becks however, kiddingly calling him "old", and commenting on his underwear (ad).

I'll admit, it was pretty funny.


Take a look at the whole thing here, including video, from the NY Daily News.

Now THIS is more like it

U.S. Soccer, MLS Create Professional Referee Organization to Manage Soccer Officials in the United States

The U.S. Soccer Federation and Major League Soccer announced today the formation of the Professional Referee Organization (PRO), an organization that will be responsible for managing the referee program in professional soccer leagues in the United States and Canada.

CHICAGO (March 6, 2012) – The U.S. Soccer Federation and Major League Soccer announced today the formation of the Professional Referee Organization (PRO), an organization that will be responsible for managing the referee program in professional soccer leagues in the United States and Canada.

The creation of PRO is designed to increase the quality of officiating in U.S. and Canadian professional leagues, develop more professional quality officials at a younger age and develop officials who will represent the United States and Canada in FIFA competitions. ...

See the whole article here, from US Soccer.

Kicking Back Comments: Here we go folks! NOW we are cooking with gas!

Life As a Referee: Part 2

For any who have not seen these videos, it is a revealing look into the life of one of US Soccer's "up and comers" Mark Geiger.

Life As a Referee: Part 1

For any who have not seen these videos, it is a revealing look into the life of one of US Soccer's "up and comers" Mark Geiger.

MLS Referee and AR of the year ...

NEW YORK – MLS announced on Thursday that Mark Geiger has received the Referee of the Year award for the 2011 season. Corey Rockwell was named Assistant Referee of the Year.

Geiger has appeared in more than 90 regular-season matches since 2004, his first season as a referee in MLS. He has also taken part in five playoff games, most recently refereeing Houston’s 2-0 victory against Sporting Kansas City in the Eastern Conference Championship.

See the whole story here, courtesy of MLSSoccer.com.

Look Back In History

Statistics are interesting ...

Refereeing is interesting ...

Combining the two under a MLS guise is really interesting.

Take a look here, to see what I mean. An interesting way to display this info.

"The Great MLS Referee Database Thread"

The subject very, very, interesting thread from Big Soccer can be found here.

Here is the lede from Maniacal Clown:

I hereby declare this new thread to be where we shall discuss MLS referee assignments of years past as well as discuss and work as a community on the database I have created to keep track of all these stats.

I'm going to be posting year by year statistics gradually as I slog through the copying and pasting of SQL queries and turn it into something readable. Don't expect more than one year in one night. I might go insane if I tried to do it all at once.

Unsporting Behavior?

Should the referee get involved in this one? Yes or no?
Kudos to Steve for bringing this one forward.

Not for wimps

You know, I personally get very tired of hearing about how much of a wimp soccer players, and cyclists are. Dancing around in their shorts, and Lycra, tra la la, la la. Rubbish. Well, there was a recent incident in MLS, and yesterday in Stage 9 of the Tour de France that should summarily dismiss the notion any of these athletes in their respective sports are wimps.

First up is the match between Columbus v. Seattle where Steve Zakuani received a brutal tackle. Keep this one in the front of mind folks, I will be calling a media pinhead out on it this week. BTW, that *pop* is his leg.



Second was a bizarre incident in the TDF where a French media car wrecked the 5 man breakaway and may have cost Teams' Sky and Vacansoleil as well as riders Fletcha and Hoogerland their lives and their Tour. In case your were wondering, both finished the stage, were awarded the most combative riders of the stage (1st time ever in TDF history), and Hoogerland was awarded the polka dot jersey for his effort in the mountains.



Also ... that was a barber wire fence Hoogerland was caught up in ... no wimps here folks. Check out here, for full coverage on the stage results, and carnage.

Multiple guess ...

Okay guys and gals, while I am out on Ride the Rhode for MS over the weekend, what do we think from the video below, or here. Voting is on the right.



Here are the choices:

a. Do nothing
b. Caution Henry
c. Caution Moffat
d. Send off Henry
e. Send off Moffat
f. Caution both players
g. Caution Henry, Send off Moffat
h. Send off Henry, Caution Moffat (What the referee did)
i. Send off both players
j. Dismiss the AR

Easy as 1, 2, 3, 4 ...

There are times when the WWW is just silly. Here is an example.
I wish I had known this when I was working to become an MLS referee. =/

How to Become an MLS Official

Major League Soccer (MLS) is a soccer league for 13 top soccer teams in the United States and Canada. The group was founded in 1996 and has experienced major growth; by 2010, they hope to be made up of 16 teams. Follow these steps if you love soccer and would like to become an official in the MLS.

Difficulty:

 

Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. • 1
     Become a referee in the MLS. To become an MLS referee, you must be a National Referee in the United States Soccer Federation. You can only hold that position if you have officiated in over 500 games in a period of not less than 7 years.

See the full 4 step plan here, courtesy of eHow.com.

Home Depot Center to host MLS Cup 2011

The Galaxy has played in Major League Soccer's championship event five times, successfully claiming the MLS Cup twice, but never in front of a home crowd. The team will have another shot at it this year as the MLS Cup 2011 will be take place at Home Depot Center on Nov. 20, the league announced Tuesday.

"We are extremely pleased to be able to once again host MLS Cup, our league's most important game, in the premier soccer stadium in this country, the Home Depot Center," Galaxy President Tom Payne said. "We would like nothing more than to be playing in MLS Cup 2011 at home in front of our fans." ...

See the whole story here, courtesy of the LA Times.

Kicking Back Comments: Well the venue is set ... any bets on who the referees are going to be? I have some thoughts ...

Another country heard from

Nowak’s referee plea goes beyond crying foul

CHESTER — It’s unusual for a coach to select a match in the first month of the season as his team’s measuring stick, an indicator of future fortunes, a forecaster of what is to come.

But that’s what Saturday represents for the Union according to manager Peter Nowak.

Nowak wants to ensure that the Union’s meeting with New York is a flawless one — from the points that his players control to those out of their hands.

“Soccer is a funny game,” Nowak said, “because there’s always something to complain about.”

By the time the Union take the pitch at PPL Park Saturday afternoon against the Red Bulls, Major League Soccer officials already will have received at least one letter from Nowak. He did the same a year ago — on a number of occasions, no less. The reason? Nowak is dissatisfied.

From what Nowak has seen during the MLS season, and Wednesday night in the Union’s U.S. Open Cup defeat, the officiating has been lackluster. ...

See the full story here, courtesy of the Daily Times.

Kicking Back Comments: While I have not seen the letters to MLS, I can only hope Piotr included some constructive points, and just simply just did not witch about how poor the officiating is. A very talented player and coach, but from my personal experience may not be the best one to dole out advice on high level referees. I hope times have changed and there is more substance than comments about how he believes a referee was "over his head."