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Mark (viva Mexico) Geiger

Geiger in 2012
Full name	Mark Geiger
Born	(1974-08-25) August 25, 1974 (age 50) 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 for PRO, from Beachwood, New Jersey. He officiates in Major League Soccer in the United States and Canada. He has also officiated in various international matches, including CONCACAF and the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Geiger was formerly employed as 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.

Geiger officiated at the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Colombia. He officiated the Group E game between eventual tournament champions Brazil and Austria at Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez in Barranquilla. He then took charge of the Group B game between Uruguay and Cameroon at Estadio El Campín in Bogotá. He was appointed to the Round of 16 match between Spain and South Korea at Estadio Palogrande in Manizales. 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. This is the first time an American has ever been the referee at a major men's tournament final.

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

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 and the quarterfinal between Japan vs. Egypt. In 2013, Geiger was selected as CONCACAF's representative referee for the 2013 Club World Cup.

Geiger was one of 25 referees appointed for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Geiger described the assignment to the World Cup as "an immensely proud moment". Geiger officiated the 2014 World Cup Group C match between Colombia and Greece at the Estadio Mineirão in Belo Horizonte; the 2014 World Cup Group B match between Chile and Spain at the Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro; 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.

Personal life

Geiger formerly taught Mathematics at Lacey Township High School in Lanoka Harbor, New Jersey. Geiger was among 103 recipients of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching in 2009.

Controversy

On July 22, Mark Geiger officiated the semi-final of the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup between Panama vs. Mexico. Geiger made several controversial calls. 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".

Honors

• MLS Referee of the Year: 2011, 2014
• Morgan J. Hellebuyck North American Officials Award 2006

References

1. FIFA profile, FIFA.com website.
2. "PRO Referee Roster". PROreferees.com. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
3. Clunn, Nicholas. "PROJECT EARNS HIGH MARKS Lacey schools rave about renovations", Asbury Park Press, October 1, 2003. Accessed May 11, 2012. "Mark Geiger, a math teacher from Beachwood, said his new classroom in the high school's addition - referred to as the 'West Wing' here - has made teaching a bit easier."
4. CONCACAF news release about u-20 final and CCL games.
5. News release from US Soccer website.
6. Match report, FIFA U-20 World Cup, 2011: FIFA.com website.
7. Match report, FIFA U-20 World Cup, 2011: FIFA.com website.
8. Match report, FIFA U-20 World Cup, 2011: FIFA.com website.
9. Match report, FIFA U-20 World Cup, 2011: FIFA.com website.
10. Professional Soccer Referees Association.
11. Article from MLS website
12. Mark Geiger named MLS Referee of the Year; Paul Scott voted Assistant Referee of the Year
13. .
14. "FCWC 2013 Appointments of Match Officials" (PDF). FIFA.com.
15. "Referee trios and support duos appointed for 2014 FIFA World Cup™". FIFA.com. 15 January 2014.
16. "Referees & Assistant referees for the 2014 FIFA World Cup™" (PDF). FIFA.com. 14 January 2014.
17. "Mark Geiger excited to fulfil World Cup dream". proreferees.com. 20 January 2014.
18. "Referee designations for matches 5-8".
19. "2014 Fifa World Cup Brazil Match Result: Spain v Chile".
20. "PRO 2014 World Cup assignments". proreferees.com. 28 June 2014.
21. News release from White House press secretary.
22. "Referee organization head: Mark Geiger's status will not be affected by Mexico-Panama fiasco". NBC Sports. 23 July 2015.
23. Controversy continues to cloud Gold Cup after Mexico-Panama fiasco, Sports Illustrated, 24 July 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, 23 July 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, 23 July 2015).
25. "Panama: CONCACAF are 'thieves'". Goal.com. 23 July 2015.
26. "Panama-Mexico official Mark Geiger backed by referee organization". ESPN. 24 July 2015.

External links

• Profile at Professional Referee Organization
• Profile at worldreferee.com
• Profile at int.soccerway.com

Template:Persondata

• 1974 births
• Living people
• American people of German descent
• American schoolteachers
• American soccer referees
• Major League Soccer referees
• Mathematics educators
• People from Beachwood, New Jersey
• Olympic football referees
• Football referees at the 2012 Summer Olympics
• CONCACAF Champions League referees
• CONCACAF Gold Cup referees
• 2014 FIFA World Cup referees
• FIFA World Cup referees