The Ref Report: 11-8-12

THE REF REPORT: 11-8-12

Welcome to the inaugural "The Ref Report". Before I get down to business, a little explanation for the new blog...

For months I have been saying that Major League Soccer will never truly arrive until we know our refs, until we know which refs are good/bad/indifferent, and until we have better quality refs. So, to help the cause, who better than me and my big mouth to give reviews of MLS ref performances and the occasional big moment in the world game. I'm not a ref myself, but I have watched enough of the game to know when a ref is quality and when he/she isn't. I have also read books by former referees which gives added insight into why some decisions are made and why some are not, as well as the need for context when judging a contentious decision as it relates to the match itself. A ref may call something a penalty in one match that he/she wouldn't even flinch at in another.

I hope for this blog to evolve with time, and any suggestions you may have to help improve the experience will be greatly appreciated. So, without any further ado, here is my first attempt...



Jair Marrufo: DC United v New York Red Bulls (First Leg Eastern Conference Semi-Final)

Contentious Decision(s): Andy Najar second yellow/sending off, and the Conor Lade handball penalty. In the case of Najar, he showed imprudence and immaturity, disagreeing with a foul that was not only called, but judged to be a yellow card by referee Marrufo. Najar then showed an act of petulance where he threw the ball back/at the ref with minor venom from close distance. In the case of the penalty, Bronko Boskovic sent a ball into the area, with Lade being judged to have raised an arm into an unnatural position.

Discipline: 8 fouls for DC, 2 yellow cards equaling red: Najar, Najar. 8 fouls for New York, 2 yellow cards: Lade, Pearce.

Overall Performance: Below Average It appeared that the match may have been too much for Marrufo. Even without the penalty and sending off, Marrufo was in the way more often than he was a facilitator. After the sending off, he clearly lost control of the game. Overall, only a lack of depth with the MLS officials could lead to Marrufo handling another playoff match this season. Poor.



Hilario Grajeda: Seattle Sounders v Real Salt Lake (First Leg Western Conference Semi-Final)

Contentious Decision(s): No major issues of note.

Discipline: 13 fouls for Seattle, 2 yellow cards: Parke, Evans. 13 fouls for RSL, 2 yellow cards: Beckerman, Morales.

Overall Performance: Good One of the more consistent refs in MLS, Grajeda allowed the game to flow when he could, and stopped play for a variety of fouls when he had no other choice. The match was very evenly called. Expect Grajeda to get a conference Final.



Edvin Jurisevic: Houston Dynamo v Sporting KC (First Leg Eatern Conference Semi-Final)

Contentious Decision(s): No major bone of contention for either set of fans to hang their hat on.

Discipline: 15 fouls for Houston, 2 yellow cards: Carr, Sarkodie. 11 fouls KC, 1 yellow card: Kamara.

Overall Performance: Steady Jurisevic did a consistent job with the players, though some may complain about the lack of cards following the spate of fouls. Ricardo Clark had 4 fouls, easily the most by any player, yet he never saw a card. A semi-final may be the ceiling for Jurisevic this season, but I look forward to watching him again in the next.



Allen Chapman: Sporting KC v Houston Dynamo (Second Leg Eastern Conference Semi-Final)

Contentious Decision(s): None of real note due to ref consistency toward both teams.

Discipline: 14 fouls for KC, 2 yellow cards: Zusi, Myers. 14 fouls for Houston, 2 yellow cards: Garcia, Ashe.

Overall Performance: Above Average While Chapman was very steady and extremely consistent in his calling of the match, some fans may object to the lieniancy he showed, even though it went both ways. Each team had a complaint about fouls that were not given, but again, it went both ways. He tried to let the men play on as best as he could. Zusi's 5 fouls earning only 1 card could be a Houston complaint, but in the end, no harm no foul. Chapman is probably done for this post-season, but his consistency could see him rising up the MLS ladder.



Kevin Stott: San Jose Earthquakes v Los Angeles Galaxy (Second Leg Western Conference Semi-Final)

Contentious Decision(s): 2 clearly intentional elbows by Bernandez in the first 5 minutes which only garnered 1 yellow card. Anything involving that C-U-Next-Tuesday Lenhart and his battles with Gonzalez.

Discipline: 9 fouls for SJ, 2 yellow cards: Bernandez, Lenhart. 8 fouls for LA, 2 yellow cards: Beckham and Gonzalez.

Overall Performance: Slightly Below Average The match was called pretty evenly by Stott, but both sets of fans surely have a few complaints. Bernandez could have/should have been sent off for 2 intentional elbows to the back of the neck/head in the first 5 minutes of the match. His yellow card actually came from the lesser of the two offenses. Both sides saw potential fouls/corners go by without a mention from the ref. The one minor bright spot for Stott may have been his handling of a corner Chris Wondolowski wanted but never received. He began cussing at the ref on an open mic. An overly weak or overly strong ref may have given him a warning or a card, while Stott turned his back and continued in his duties. There were no major incidents, the game flowed for the most part, and neither team was more hard done by than the other, but yet the performance was still below the best of what we need to see from our refs. The Beckham and Gonzalez cards in particular were given on flimsy challenges that were far from their worst of the evening. The same can be said of Lenhart. I'm hoping it was just an off night for Stott, but I would be surprised if he gets another assignment before the playoffs end. The line between what he did right/wrong and what Chapman did right/wrong in the KC v Houston match is a thin line, but that thin line is the difference between a solid ref performance and one that leaves both sets of fans wanting better.



Well, there it is, the first Ref Report. With only 5 matches to go in the season, I know I'm coming to the ball late, but better late than never right? If anyone has any questions, comments, or critiques, feel free to leave me a message. Hopefully this is just the first step in the US fan becoming more involved and aware about their refs in the MLS. I hope that by next season I will be able to have my own MLS ref ranking system, helping you to know what you can expect from any ref taking charge of your favorite MLS clubs match.

Until next time, that's the Ref Report!