Major League Soccer deserves a straight red card for its handling of the officials’ lockout, which will enter its second month this weekend. At a time when Lionel Messi’s presence means more of the world will be sampling MLS then ever before, the league has put its games in the hands of referees who are clearly overwhelmed and underqualified.
The results have been embarrassing, yet the league continues to gamble its reputation — not to mention millions of dollars in potential sponsorships and global recognition — to save the $95,000 per team it would take to bring the regular referees back this season.