Corruption in MLS Officiating?

The conduct of a top American soccer referee and of one of Major League Soccer's biggest stars during the Crew's 2-2 tie with the Chicago Fire on Saturday is being investigated by the U.S. Soccer Federation and the league.

Witnesses reported seeing Fire star Cuauhtemoc Blanco push past attendants at the entrance to the referees' locker room after the game in Columbus Crew Stadium carrying a soccer jersey. He reportedly tossed the jersey to Jair Marrufo while the referee was in the locker room with his assistants.

Blanco was seen chatting with Marrufo before the game, and witnesses said he later yelled at the referee and his crew outside the locker rooms at halftime. It is unclear what he said.

Marrufo issued a controversial red card to Crew defender Gino Padula for a foul on Blanco in the second half. The Crew led 2-0 before Padula's ejection but allowed two goals late in the game while playing a man down.

While I was watching this game on Saturday I was perplexed by the red card given to Padula on the Columbus Crew.

I figured it was just horrible calls that seem standard in the MLS. The MLS doesn't get any respect as it is....this is just icing on the cake.

The fail award of the week goes to Cuauhtemoc Blanco from the Chicago Fire and Jair Marrufo for kicking a team, the Columbus Crew, while they are down.

Way to go scum bags!

Dan Lee, of the Dispatch, followed with:

Speaking of Padula's red card, replays showed it was a harsh decision by referee Jair Marrufo. Padula stretched for the ball and inadvertantly clipped Chicago's Cuauhtémoc Blanco on the leg. What's particularly frustrating for the Crew in general and Padula in particular is that just a couple of minutes before the ejection, Chicago's John Thorrington came crashing into Padula's leg with the studs of both shoes extended. That's exactly the sort of play that should warrant ejection because it can very easily shatter somebody's leg. Oddly, Marrufo didn't even call a foul on the Thorrington challenge.

Not to put too much of the blame on Marrufo, as there are plenty of things that could have changed the outcome of the game. This is just something that stood out as unusual. Had Thorrington been sent off the field for his challenge on Padula, the Crew red card would have made it 10-on-10 and things likely would have played out differently. Crew GM Mark McCullers told Shawn Mitchell of the Dispatch that the game was stolen from Columbus. He didn't elaborate, but it doesn't take a detective to see what he means.

With that being said by Dan Lee....

The MLS gets enough crap from the soccer world. That being said Marrufo was brought into the MLS as an official in 2007 to "increase the quality of officiating in the MLS."

If this is considered quality....I'll be happy to go back to our original refs. At least they don't accept bribes that we knew of. At least not as blatant as this. I don't care what peoples words are...their actions speak for them. And Blanco and Marrufo's actions are screaming volumes.