PRO crew for MLS All-Star game confirmed

Armando Villarreal will take charge of his first MLS All-Star game when the leading lights of Major League Soccer play against the Liga MX All-Stars – the best players from Mexico’s men’s top-flight league – in Los Angeles on Wednesday, August 25.

Joining him will be assistant referees Ian Anderson and Cory Richardson, with Victor Rivas as fourth official, Jon Freemon and Mike Kampmeinert in the Video Review booth and Jose Da Silva named as the reserve assistant referee.

After whistling his first MLS game in 2012, Villarreal has overseen more than 150 regular-season games and has been a member of the FIFA panel since 2015 – first as a referee and now also as a VAR.

He has previous experience in showpiece games having officiated at the Copa America Centenario tournament and two Concacaf Gold Cups, in addition to the U.S. Open Cup Final in 2014 and the 2016 USL Cup Final. He has also been fourth official at the 2014 MLS Cup Final and the second leg of the 2019 Concacaf Champions League Final.

The All-Star crew has vast amounts of experience in assistant referee Anderson, who has flagged more than 250 MLS games as well as the All-Star game in 2012. Richardson, who was reserve assistant referee for MLS Cup in 2020, will run the opposite touchline.

Rivas will be the fourth official at Banc of California Stadium – his first major assignment since his debut as an MLS referee three years ago. Freemon has been named as VAR and Kampmeinert as AVAR, having worked a combined total of 25 MLS games from the booth already this season.

It is the first MLS All-Star game for 25 months after the COVID-19 pandemic delayed last year’s game with Liga MX All-Stars until now.

08/25/21

MLS All-Stars vs Liga MX All-Stars
Banc of California Stadium (9PM ET)
REF: Armando Villarreal
AR1: Ian Anderson
AR2: Cory Richardson
4TH: Victor Rivas
VAR: Jon Freemon
AVAR: Mike Kampmeinert
RAR: Jose Da Silva