PRO announce crew for 2021 MLS Cup
Armando Villarreal will take charge of the Audi 2021 MLS Cup between Portland Timbers and New York City FC on Saturday, December 11 (3PM ET) at Providence Park.
Villarreal has refereed more than 150 regular-season MLS games since his debut in 2012 and is a FIFA international referee and VAR. This season, he was the center official for the 2021 MLS All-Star Game presented by Target and worked the Concacaf Gold Cup, adding to his U.S. Open Cup Final (2014) and USL Cup Final (2016) assignments in previous years.
Frank Anderson and Oscar Mitchell-Carvalho will be the assistant referees for this weekend’s final. Anderson is a former MLS Assistant Referee of the Year award winner who will be working his second MLS Cup, having been AR in 2016. Like Anderson, Mitchell-Carvalho is a FIFA international assistant referee. This is his eighth year working MLS games.
Joining them on Saturday’s crew as fourth official is Fotis Bazakos, who has completed over 100 regular-season assignments in this role and refereed 20 games during this year’s MLS season – including the opening game of the MLS Cup Playoffs.
Chris Penso will be VAR for this weekend’s showpiece game building on his work in the Video Operations Room during this year’s Concacaf Gold Cup, Concacaf Nations League, and the Tokyo Olympics. He worked as VAR in the 2018 MLS Cup in Atlanta.
MLS Assistant Referee of the Year Cory Richardson, who was part of the crew with Villarreal at this year’s All-Star game, is the AVAR for MLS Cup. Jeremy Hanson is the Reserve Assistant Referee.
Portland Timbers put two goals past Real Salt Lake without reply in the Western Conference Final to give Providence Park the chance to host its first MLS Cup, while New York City edged out Philadelphia Union 2-1 to be crowned champions of the east.
Portland Timbers vs New York City FC
Providence Park (3PM ET)
REF: Armando Villarreal
AR1: Frank Anderson
AR2: Oscar Mitchell-Carvalho
4TH: Fotis Bazakos
VAR: Chris Penso
AVAR: Cory Richardson
RAR: Jeremy Hanson
Please click here to see all the previous MLS Cup crews