MLS has now played 33 matches through four weeks of the 2016 season.
Of the PRO roster, only Gamble and Stoica have yet to receive assignments. (Here is an interesting article on Stoica who is out with an injury.)
Thus far, MLS referees have issued 125 yellow cards, one which resulted in a red, 11 straight red cards, and have awarded 14 penalty kicks.
On average, there are 3.7 yellow cards per match, 0.3 straight red cards per match, and 0.4 penalty kicks awarded per match.
The low straight red card total surprised me. Several television broadcasters have commented that PRO apparently told teams to expect more red cards, and they seem to be making good on that promise. (I couldn't find any links to substantiate this.)
It's too early to make note of teams with the most cards for or against, but it was interesting to see that Vancouver has received 4 PKs, for an average of 1 PK awarded per match.
Here were the three Week 4 referees:
03/26/2016
New York City v New England Revolution
RICARDO SALAZAR
D.C. United v FC Dallas
JOSE CARLOS RIVERO
Vancouver Whitecaps v Houston Dynamo
DAVE GANTAR
Saturday, March 26, 2016
Friday, March 18, 2016
Week 3 Referee Assignments
As I post this, a game is currently being played. PRO Referees announced the referee assignments for Week 3. Crew SC's draw is Sibiga, who had 3 games last year. Sibiga's first MLS match was at MAPFRE Stadium when the Crew finally played LA after a lightning delay.
03/18/2016
New York City v Orlando City
ALLEN CHAPMAN
03/19/2016
Chicago Fire v Columbus Crew
ROBERT SIBIGA
New York Red Bulls v Houston Dynamo
JAIR MARRUFO
FC Dallas v Montreal Impact
ARMANDO VILLARREAL
Seattle Sounders v Vancouver Whitecaps
MARK GEIGER
LA Galaxy v San Jose Earthquakes
ISMAIL ELFATH
Portland Timbers v Real Salt Lake
HILARIO GRAJEDA
03/20/2016
Philadelphia Union v New England Revolution
NIMA SAGHAFI (It looks like this is his first MLS match at the center)
D.C. United v Colorado Rapids
CHRIS PENSO
Sporting Kansas City v Toronto FC
BALDOMERO TOLEDO
I also forgot to point out Week 2's assignments:
03/11/2016
Orlando City v Chicago Fire
TED UNKEL
03/12/2016
New England Revolution v D.C. United
SILVIU PETRESCU
Real Salt Lake v Seattle Sounders
JUAN GUZMAN
Montreal Impact v New York Red Bulls
DREW FISCHER
Colorado Rapids v LA Galaxy
FOTIS BAZAKOS
Columbus Crew v Philadelphia Union
HILARIO GRAJEDA
Sporting Kansas City v Vancouver Whitecaps
EDVIN JURISEVIC
Houston Dynamo v FC Dallas
JORGE GONZALEZ
03/13/2016
New York City v Toronto FC
ALAN KELLY
San Jose Earthquakes v Portland Timbers
JAIR MARRUFO
03/18/2016
New York City v Orlando City
ALLEN CHAPMAN
03/19/2016
Chicago Fire v Columbus Crew
ROBERT SIBIGA
New York Red Bulls v Houston Dynamo
JAIR MARRUFO
FC Dallas v Montreal Impact
ARMANDO VILLARREAL
Seattle Sounders v Vancouver Whitecaps
MARK GEIGER
LA Galaxy v San Jose Earthquakes
ISMAIL ELFATH
Portland Timbers v Real Salt Lake
HILARIO GRAJEDA
03/20/2016
Philadelphia Union v New England Revolution
NIMA SAGHAFI (It looks like this is his first MLS match at the center)
D.C. United v Colorado Rapids
CHRIS PENSO
Sporting Kansas City v Toronto FC
BALDOMERO TOLEDO
I also forgot to point out Week 2's assignments:
03/11/2016
Orlando City v Chicago Fire
TED UNKEL
03/12/2016
New England Revolution v D.C. United
SILVIU PETRESCU
Real Salt Lake v Seattle Sounders
JUAN GUZMAN
Montreal Impact v New York Red Bulls
DREW FISCHER
Colorado Rapids v LA Galaxy
FOTIS BAZAKOS
Columbus Crew v Philadelphia Union
HILARIO GRAJEDA
Sporting Kansas City v Vancouver Whitecaps
EDVIN JURISEVIC
Houston Dynamo v FC Dallas
JORGE GONZALEZ
03/13/2016
New York City v Toronto FC
ALAN KELLY
San Jose Earthquakes v Portland Timbers
JAIR MARRUFO
Saturday, March 5, 2016
Opening Weekend Ref Notes
PRO has announced the Week 1 referee assignments. Below is the list of center officials:
New York Red Bulls v Toronto FC
ALLEN CHAPMAN
Orlando City v Real Salt Lake
CHRIS PENSO
Chicago Fire v New York City
REF: ARMANDO VILLARREAL
AR1: Corey Parker
AR2: Peter Manikowski
(I list ARs here to note that the ARs were also assigned to the MLS final.)
FC Dallas v Philadelphia Union
MARK GEIGER
Houston Dynamo v New England Revolution
JOSE CARLOS RIVERO
San Jose Earthquakes v Colorado Rapids
TED UNKEL
Portland Timbers v Columbus Crew
BALDOMERO TOLEDO
Vancouver Whitecaps v Montreal Impact
ISMAIL ELFATH
Seattle Sounders v Sporting Kansas City
ALAN KELLY
LA Galaxy v D.C. United
KEVIN STOTT
PRO has also released its points of emphasis. Namely, dissent and offside. I would like them to see more focus on simulation and shirt tugging/fouls in the box on corners. If I were a ref, I would rarely give a yellow for dissent, even if I was being cussed at. Those yellows seem kind of egotistical. However, there is no place in the game for rushing 50 years to the ref or physical contact. I'm OK with straight reds for that.
And finally, 4th Officials will hold up TAG Hauer branded signs now for substitutions and extra time.
New York Red Bulls v Toronto FC
ALLEN CHAPMAN
Orlando City v Real Salt Lake
CHRIS PENSO
Chicago Fire v New York City
REF: ARMANDO VILLARREAL
AR1: Corey Parker
AR2: Peter Manikowski
(I list ARs here to note that the ARs were also assigned to the MLS final.)
FC Dallas v Philadelphia Union
MARK GEIGER
Houston Dynamo v New England Revolution
JOSE CARLOS RIVERO
San Jose Earthquakes v Colorado Rapids
TED UNKEL
Portland Timbers v Columbus Crew
BALDOMERO TOLEDO
Vancouver Whitecaps v Montreal Impact
ISMAIL ELFATH
Seattle Sounders v Sporting Kansas City
ALAN KELLY
LA Galaxy v D.C. United
KEVIN STOTT
PRO has also released its points of emphasis. Namely, dissent and offside. I would like them to see more focus on simulation and shirt tugging/fouls in the box on corners. If I were a ref, I would rarely give a yellow for dissent, even if I was being cussed at. Those yellows seem kind of egotistical. However, there is no place in the game for rushing 50 years to the ref or physical contact. I'm OK with straight reds for that.
And finally, 4th Officials will hold up TAG Hauer branded signs now for substitutions and extra time.
Thursday, March 3, 2016
2016 MLS Jerseys
Most of the commentary I see on soccer jerseys are arguments between artist and graphic designers, questioning how lay people can know anything about design. I have a different view. A friend who is a SCAD grad, who now lives in Florida, once asked me for my opinion on a logo he designed. I said, "What do I know? I'm not a graphic designer." He said, "No, you're exactly the person I need to hear from. We design for consumers not each other," or something to that effect. So, I offer my altogether unfashionable critiques of the 2016 MLS jerseys.
1) NYCFC Nailed it! It's creative, something I haven't seen before, really sharp, and it pops.
2) Vancouver I enjoy when Vancouver plays with mountain "peaks". The multiple peaks, subtle designs, and shadings make this kit very nicely done. I am also a fan of the snap/button placket on soccer kits.
3) SKC This is another kit that implements the snap placket. It is really classy. (I wish Crew SC would wear striped socks!)
4) Seattle I love teal. I also really like the heathered look, I haven't seen a soccer jersey with that pattern before. I'm not a fan of the rave green, though, but that doesn't take away from the solid kit that looks good in action on TV, too.
5) Orlando There's just something about purple. Last year's beautiful jersey was my second overall favorite. I realize that this is just the adidas template (fake flat collar, sleeves a different color from the torso), but purple is one of the few unique colors in the league like Crew SC Yellow and Dynamo Orange. I also like different color sleeves "baseball shirt" style, and wish more soccer jerseys implemented them.
6) Montreal This shirt again utilizes one of adidas's standard templates, but the kit works because of the crisp color scheme. The really weird fake flat collar doesn't stand out as much on this one. Solid.
7) RSL This is just the right amount of simple. I continue to dislike the fake flat collar, but I really like what they did here.
8) Columbus Crew SC I don't hate this kit, I don't love it. I enjoy the effort. My first thought when I saw the baby blue shorts was of UNC. I am unable to hate on the shorts after seeing these Tweets:
I don't think these kits would have had such a negative response if it wasn't for the club having literally the best soccer jersey ever created in 2015. I am excited to see how it looks on the pitch. An A for effort.
9) Houston The orange and black combo is beautiful, but this is just another adidas template (see Germany World Cup kits).
11) Portland This is sharply designed. It would have looked much, much better and would have appeared higher on the list if it was green, though.
12) Toronto I actually really like Toronto's gray/red kits. The red shade was distinctive, and I don't know any other team that had a solid gray kit. I like this shirt with the red shorts much more than with the blue shorts. Another solid effort/attempt at honoring a local flag that just barely misses the mark.
13) DC Black jerseys are almost always sharp. There are subtle design/pattern elements here, but maybe too subtle.
14) New England This is a simple kit with two parallel vertical lines that are kind of distracting.
15) Colorado To my knowledge, the new kit from the Rapids doesn't go official until March 10. However, there was this leak. There is not much of a change from the previous year's kit, but the burgundy always looks solid.
16) Bridgeview This kit is just boring. There's nothing special about it. I would have preferred that the sponsor appear on the red instead of a white strip.
17) Red Bulls This has way too much branding for me to enjoy. It almost looks like a Liga MX jersey. The colors are bright but the rear-end billboard is annoying.
18) LA I have never seen a sash look good on a jersey, except for Tottenham Hotspur. This jersey is a much too simple and boring update for the club with all the money.
19) San Jose This shirt is awful. The vertical sash looks out of place. The black and blue kit that the Quakes have is so beautiful and is easily one of my all-time favorites that this one pales in comparison.
20) Philadelphia I cannot figure out what change they made, other than putting the adidas stripes on the side (like all of the others). Yet another jersey with one of those flat fake collars. Unfortunately, I don't think any jersey will ever look good with the Bimbo sponsor emblazoned across the front
1) NYCFC Nailed it! It's creative, something I haven't seen before, really sharp, and it pops.
2) Vancouver I enjoy when Vancouver plays with mountain "peaks". The multiple peaks, subtle designs, and shadings make this kit very nicely done. I am also a fan of the snap/button placket on soccer kits.
3) SKC This is another kit that implements the snap placket. It is really classy. (I wish Crew SC would wear striped socks!)
4) Seattle I love teal. I also really like the heathered look, I haven't seen a soccer jersey with that pattern before. I'm not a fan of the rave green, though, but that doesn't take away from the solid kit that looks good in action on TV, too.
5) Orlando There's just something about purple. Last year's beautiful jersey was my second overall favorite. I realize that this is just the adidas template (fake flat collar, sleeves a different color from the torso), but purple is one of the few unique colors in the league like Crew SC Yellow and Dynamo Orange. I also like different color sleeves "baseball shirt" style, and wish more soccer jerseys implemented them.
6) Montreal This shirt again utilizes one of adidas's standard templates, but the kit works because of the crisp color scheme. The really weird fake flat collar doesn't stand out as much on this one. Solid.
7) RSL This is just the right amount of simple. I continue to dislike the fake flat collar, but I really like what they did here.
8) Columbus Crew SC I don't hate this kit, I don't love it. I enjoy the effort. My first thought when I saw the baby blue shorts was of UNC. I am unable to hate on the shorts after seeing these Tweets:
9) Houston The orange and black combo is beautiful, but this is just another adidas template (see Germany World Cup kits).
10) FC Dallas The Dallas kit is a good example of using a club's primary colors, adapting elements of the old jerseys, and elevating it.
11) Portland This is sharply designed. It would have looked much, much better and would have appeared higher on the list if it was green, though.
12) Toronto I actually really like Toronto's gray/red kits. The red shade was distinctive, and I don't know any other team that had a solid gray kit. I like this shirt with the red shorts much more than with the blue shorts. Another solid effort/attempt at honoring a local flag that just barely misses the mark.
14) New England This is a simple kit with two parallel vertical lines that are kind of distracting.
15) Colorado To my knowledge, the new kit from the Rapids doesn't go official until March 10. However, there was this leak. There is not much of a change from the previous year's kit, but the burgundy always looks solid.
16) Bridgeview This kit is just boring. There's nothing special about it. I would have preferred that the sponsor appear on the red instead of a white strip.
17) Red Bulls This has way too much branding for me to enjoy. It almost looks like a Liga MX jersey. The colors are bright but the rear-end billboard is annoying.
19) San Jose This shirt is awful. The vertical sash looks out of place. The black and blue kit that the Quakes have is so beautiful and is easily one of my all-time favorites that this one pales in comparison.
20) Philadelphia I cannot figure out what change they made, other than putting the adidas stripes on the side (like all of the others). Yet another jersey with one of those flat fake collars. Unfortunately, I don't think any jersey will ever look good with the Bimbo sponsor emblazoned across the front
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