Alex Prus vs Dynamo

Dynamo lose to Chivas USA this past weekend. Chivas have been in good form of late, and they received help from their newest signing, .

They also received help from Alex Prus, the center referee.

First, in the 31st minute, Prus sends off Clark for pushing an opponent. The Daily Breeze, a California paper states: The shove earned Clark a red card and drew some laughter from the Chivas locker room after the match. "I slipped more than anything," Perez admitted. "When I ran in, the ref put his arm out and I stopped and had to hold on to the ref but he pushed me at the same time."

This decision was perhaps arguable, although how no cards were issued (not even a yellow) to the other participants is hard to understand.

Yet Prus was not to be outdone. In stoppage time in the second half, DeRo drove into the Penalty Box only to be hacked down by Jason Hernandez who failed to even touch the ball. The Daily Breeze: "Hernandez might want to consider it a birthday gift from Prus since he celebrated his 23rd birthday on Saturday."

The OC Register (also from California) notes that "Chivas USA got some help from an unexpected source Saturday night: referee Alex Prus."

ESPN states that Dynamo were "Hard done by the ref against Chivas."

Prus has ruined other games: Chivas v Fire this season and Galaxy v Earthquakes last season.

So the Dynamo lose...but who are the real losers? Soccer fans. We clamor for an improved product on the field, and most of the attention regarding this gets focused (rightly) on the players. But the referees are often amateurish and an embarrassment to the game. There is little accountability on their part. The MLS needs to institutionalize MLS referees so they can referee full time, receive quality training, and benefit from their successes while being penalized for their failures. They must also learn that if you make a mistake in a game, you don't make two in order to "balance" your mistakes. If the MLS can broaden its gaze beyond just soccer-specific stadiums, it might actually improve the game here in the States. It's not all on the player's shoulders.