PRO (Professional Referee Organization) announced on Monday the referees that will officiate the second leg of the Conference Semifinals. Thirty-nine-year-old Mark Geiger will be the man in the middle of the pitch when Sporting KC hosts the New England Revolution at Sporting Park on Wednesday. Sean Hurd and Joe Fletcher will be the assistant referees, while Sorin Stoica will be the fourth official.
Geiger, the 2011 MLS Referee of the Year, has refereed 14 matches in 2013 including last Thursday's knockout round match between the Houston Dynamo and Montreal Impact. In that match, three players from Montreal were ejected, including two for a skirmish late in the match.
In his 13 regular season matches this year, Geiger has handed out 35 yellow cards, two reds cards and has awarded two penalty kicks.
One of those red cards and one of those penalty kicks came during one of his three Sporting KC matches this year. On June 22, 2013, Geiger issued Sporting KC forward C.J. Sapong a red card in the 68th minute for unsportsmanlike conduct and awarded a penalty kick to Sporting KC in the 43rd minute.
Sporting KC is 1-1-1 in 2013 with Geiger as the center referee including a 3-1 win over the Philadelphia Union in the regular season opener. In those three matches, Geiger has averaged 33 fouls called and three yellow cards issued.
Coincidentally, Geiger's last match in Kansas City was the 2011 Eastern Conference Final against the Houston Dynamo. In that 2-0 loss, Geiger issued five yellow cards, but no red cards.
Tickets for Wednesday's playoff match are still available and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com or at the Sporting Park Box Office on Wednesday.