Four U.S. Soccer Referees to Represent USA at 2018 FIFA World Cup
U.S. Soccer FIFA Referees Mark Geiger and Jair Marrufo, and FIFA Assistant Referees Frank Anderson and Corey Rockwell Invited to Russia
CHICAGO (March 29, 2018) – Four U.S. Soccer referees have been selected to represent the United States at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. 2014 FIFA World Cup referee Mark Geiger, fellow referee Jair Marrufo, and assistant referees Frank Anderson and Corey Rockwell have received invitations to this year's World Cup, which kicks off June 14.
"U.S. Soccer is proud to have four Match Officials selected for the 2018 World Cup in Russia," U.S. Soccer Director of Referee Development Rick Eddy said. "Mark Geiger becomes the second U.S. official to work in two World Cups. He joins David Socha who worked the 1982 World Cup in Spain and 1986 in Mexico. Frank Anderson and Corey Rockwell become the second and third U.S. Assistant Referees to be selected. The U.S. Soccer referee community extends their congratulations to all four selected. We are proud of their accomplishments."
The United States is the only nation to send four match officials to Russia, and the only nation with multiple (center) referees selected.
MORE: List of 2018 FIFA World Cup Referees
Fourteen match officials (six referees and eight assistant referees) have been selected out of the Concacaf region for this year's World Cup. In total, 36 Referees and 63 assistant referees have been selected by the FIFA Referee Committee.
In the second half of April, the selected FIFA World Cup match officials will attend a seminar for two weeks at the technical center of the Italian Football Association. Following this seminar, the FIFA Referees Committee will announce the names of the referees selected to act as VARs during the FIFA World Cup, from the existing 99 selected referees.
Geiger, who has been on the FIFA International Referees List since 2008, refereed at the 2012 Olympics, 2013 and 2015 Concacaf Gold Cups as well as the 2014 FIFA World Cup. At the 2014 World Cup, Geiger became the first U.S. referee to officiate a knockout match in the history of the tournament. The 43-year-old New Jersey native was the 2011 Major League Soccer Referee of the Year. In 2014, he became the first American referee to work a World Cup match since Brian Hall in 2002.
Marrufo, 40, who most recently served as a match official at the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup, officiated matches at July's Concacaf Gold Cup and acted as a VAR at June's FIFA Confederations Cup. A top U.S. referee, Marrufo has been on the FIFA International Panel of Officials since 2007, working his first international match that October between Fiji and New Zealand. His international experience also includes the Olympic Games, Copa America and every Gold Cup since 2009.
Anderson, who recently was an Assistant Referee at the 2017 Concacaf U-20 Championship, has served on the U.S. Soccer FIFA panel since 2012. Highlights to Anderson's professional career has included selections to the 2016 MLS Cup, 2016 MLS All-Star game and the 2015 Pan American Games Final. In 2016, Anderson was named MLS Assistant Referee of the Year.
A member of the U.S. Soccer FIFA panel since 2007, 44-year-old Corey Rockwell earns his first FIFA World Cup Match Official selection. After being named MLS Assistant Referee of the Year in 2011, Rockwell officiated the 2012 U.S. Open Cup Final and multiple matches during the 2016 Copa America Centenario tournament.