Mark Geiger

Mark Geiger

Mark Geiger in 2012
Born (1974-08-25) August 25, 1974
Beachwood, New Jersey
Other occupation Mathematics teacher
Domestic
Years League Role
2002–2004 A-League Referee
2004– MLS Referee
2011– NASL Referee
International
Years League Role
2008– FIFA listed Referee
2008– CONCACAF Champions League Referee

Mark Geiger (born August 25, 1974) is an American soccer referee who officiates at domestic level in Major League Soccer (MLS) and who has been on the FIFA International Referees List since 2008. He is also a member of the Professional Referee Organization (PRO). At international level, Geiger has refereed the 2012 Olympics; at the 2013 and 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cups; and at the 2014 FIFA World Cup. At the 2014 World Cup, he became the first referee from the United States to officiate a knockout match at a World Cup tournament. Before becoming a full-time referee, Geiger was a high school mathematics teacher.

Career

Geiger first took up refereeing in 1988. He became a United States Soccer Federation National Referee in 2003 and has been officiating in Major League Soccer since 2004. He has officiated in CONCACAF tournaments since becoming a FIFA referee in 2008, and has officiated Gold Cup and other international tournaments and fixtures. Geiger was selected for the CONCACAF U-20 Championship in 2011, where he refereed the final.[1]

Geiger officiated at the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Colombia.[2] He officiated the Group E game between eventual tournament champions Brazil and Austria at Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez in Barranquilla.[3] He then took charge of the Group B game between Uruguay and Cameroon at Estadio El Campín in Bogotá.[4] He was appointed to the Round of 16 match between Spain and South Korea at Estadio Palogrande in Manizales.[5] Finally, he refereed the Final with American Assistant Referee Sean Hurd and Canadian Assistant Referee Joe Fletcher, between Brazil and Portugal at Estadio El Campín in Bogotá.[6] This is the first time an American has ever been the referee at a major men's tournament final.[7]

Geiger was selected as the Major League Soccer referee of the year for the 2011 season, and then again in 2014.[8][9]

In 2012, Geiger was selected as one of 16 referees to officiate at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Geiger took charge of the Group D match between Spain vs. Japan[10] and the quarterfinal between Japan vs. Egypt. In 2013, Geiger was an official at the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup.[11]

Geiger was selected as CONCACAF's representative referee for the 2013 Club World Cup.[12]

Geiger was one of 25 referees appointed for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.[13][14] Geiger described the assignment to the World Cup as "an immensely proud moment".[15] Geiger officiated the 2014 World Cup Group C match between Colombia and Greece at the Estadio Mineirão in Belo Horizonte;[16] the 2014 World Cup Group B match between Chile and Spain at the Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro;[17] and the 2014 World Cup Round of 16 match between France and Nigeria at the Estádio Nacional in Brasilia, the first American to referee in the knockout round of a FIFA World Cup.[18]

Personal life

Geiger was born on August 25, 1974 and grew up in Beachwood, New Jersey. After studying teaching at Trenton State College, he became a mathematics teacher at Lacey Township High School in Lanoka Harbor, New Jersey, a role that he gave up to become a full-time referee. While at Lacey Township High School, Geiger was among 103 recipients of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching in 2010.[19][20][21]

Controversies

On 22 July 2015 Mark Geiger officiated the semi-final of the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup between Panama vs. Mexico.[22] Geiger made several controversial calls.[23][24] Mexico won, 2–1, and the Panama national football team, in response protested by posting a photo of themselves on social media with a sign "Concacaf Ladrones" which translated means, "Concacaf Thieves".[25][26]

On 28 October 2015, Mark Geiger officiated a 2015 MLS Cup Playoff match between D.C. United and the New England Revolution in the first round. In the final minutes of the game with a score of 2–1 in favor of D.C. United, Geiger chose not to award a penalty kick to New England for a deliberate handling offence in the penalty area by D.C. United defender Sean Franklin. Jermaine Jones, believing it should have been a penalty kick, confronted the referee for this and was physically aggressive towards him, earning Jones a red card.[27][28] Jermaine Jones was charged with referee assault by the MLS Disciplinary Committee and suspended for six games.[29]

On 19 March 2016, on the 9th minute of an MLS regular season match between Seattle Sounders FC and Vancouver Whitecaps FC, Mark Geiger called a controversial foul on Seattle defender Joevin Jones, who allegedly tripped Vancouver attacker Christian Bolaños in Seattle's penalty box. Both the Seattle Sounders and their supporters reacted fiercely on social media, arguing that Jones never tripped Bolaños.[30] Vancouver was awarded a penalty, which Pedro Morales converted, giving Vancouver the lead. Vancouver eventually won the match 1-2.[31]

On 1 April 2016, during an MLS match between the New York Red Bulls and the New England Revolution, Geiger was the subject of further controversy when he allowed play to continue while a Red Bulls defender Kemar Lawrence was down with an injury, resulting in a Revolution goal. Lawrence was later stretchered off the field. Less than 10 minutes later, Geiger sent off Red Bulls midfielder Felipe for what the announcers called one of the worst calls they have ever seen. [32] [33]

Honors

References

  1. ↑ "Geiger to referee U-20 final, CCL Round 2". CONCACAF. August 19, 2011. Archived from the original on October 25, 2012. Retrieved October 7, 2015.
  2. ↑ "U.S. Soccer Referee Mark Geiger and Assistant Referee Mark Hurd to Participate at the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Colombia". U.S. Soccer. May 16, 2011. Retrieved October 7, 2015.
  3. ↑ "Match Report - Brazil 3-0 Austria". FIFA. Retrieved October 10, 2015.
  4. ↑ "Match Report - Uruguay 0-1 Cameroon". FIFA. Retrieved October 10, 2015.
  5. ↑ "Match Report - Spain 0-0 Korea Republic". FIFA. Retrieved October 10, 2015.
  6. ↑ "Match Report - Brazil 3-2 Portugual". FIFA. Retrieved October 10, 2015.
  7. ↑ "Geiger, Hurd and Fletcher to Officiate FIFA U20 World Cup Final". Professional Soccer Referees Association. Retrieved October 10, 2015.
  8. ↑ "MLS veteran Geiger named Referee of the Year". Major League Soccer. November 10, 2011. Retrieved October 7, 2015.
  9. ↑ "Mark Geiger named MLS Referee of the Year; Paul Scott voted Assistant Referee of the Year". Major League Soccer. November 25, 2014. Archived from the original on February 21, 2015. Retrieved October 7, 2015.
  10. ↑ "Matchcast - Spain 0:1 Japan". FIFA. Archived from the original on May 24, 2013. Retrieved October 7, 2015.
  11. ↑ "PRO Referee Roster". Professional Referee Organization. Retrieved October 6, 2013.
  12. ↑ "FCWC 2013 Appointments of Match Officials" (PDF). FIFA.
  13. ↑ "Referee trios and support duos appointed for 2014 FIFA World Cup™". FIFA. January 15, 2014.
  14. ↑ "Referees & Assistant referees for the 2014 FIFA World Cup™" (PDF). FIFA. January 14, 2014.
  15. ↑ "Mark Geiger excited to fulfil World Cup dream". Professional Referee Organization. January 20, 2014.
  16. ↑ "Referee designations for matches 5-8". FIFA. June 12, 2014. Retrieved October 7, 2015.
  17. ↑ "2014 Fifa World Cup Brazil Match Result: Spain v Chile". FIFA.
  18. ↑ "PRO 2014 World Cup assignments". Professional Referee Organization. June 28, 2014.
  19. ↑ "Open list of prospective referees & assistant referees for the 2014 FIFA World Cup" (PDF). FIFA. Retrieved October 6, 2015.
  20. ↑ "Presidential Math and Science Teachers Award Release" (Press release). The White House. June 7, 2010. Archived from the original on July 23, 2015. Retrieved October 6, 2015.
  21. ↑ Day, Timothy D. (June 10, 2014). "Retired math teacher Mark Geiger is the only American selected to referee the World Cup". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 6, 2015.
  22. ↑ "Referee organization head: Mark Geiger's status will not be affected by Mexico-Panama fiasco". NBC Sports. July 23, 2015.
  23. ↑ "Controversy continues to cloud Gold Cup after Mexico-Panama fiasco", Sports Illustrated, July 24, 2015
  24. ↑ In the 25th minute, Luis Tejada was given a red card for elbowing Francisco Javier Rodríguez on the head ("Panama, Mexico scuffle in chaotic Gold Cup semifinal match", Sports Illustrated, 22 July 2015).
    In the 88th minute, Mexico was awarded a penalty, and the ensuing argument delayed the match more than ten minutes ("Mexico tops Panama in chaotic Gold Cup semifinal", USA Today, July 23, 2015).
    In the 105th+1 minute, a second penalty was awarded to Mexico ("Penalty call sets up Mexico go-ahead goal in win vs. Panama", Sports Illustrated, July 23, 2015).
  25. ↑ "Panama: CONCACAF are 'thieves'". Goal.com. July 23, 2015.
  26. ↑ "Panama-Mexico official Mark Geiger backed by referee organization". ESPN. July 24, 2015.
  27. ↑ Maurer, Pablo (October 28, 2015). "DC United 2, New England Revolution 1 - MLS Match Recap". MLSsoccer.com. Retrieved October 28, 2015.
  28. ↑ Vertelney, Set (October 29, 2015). "Revolution furious after The Geiger Show rolls into town once again". Goal.com. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
  29. ↑ http://www.mlssoccer.com/mls-disciplinary-summary
  30. ↑ "Social media reacts to controversial call in Seattle Sounders match vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC". http://www.soundersfc.com/post/2016/03/19/social-media-reacts-controversial-call-seattle-sounders-match-vs-vancouver-whitecaps. Seattle Sounders FC. External link in |website= (help);
  31. ↑ "Seattle Sounders 1, Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2: PKs lead Sounders to frustrating loss". SoundersFC.com. 2016-03-19. Retrieved 2016-03-20.
  32. ↑ http://matchcenter.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2016-04-01-new-england-revolution-vs-new-york-red-bulls/recap
  33. ↑ http://www.onceametro.com/2016/4/1/11351302/red-bulls-geigered-at-the-revolution

External links

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