Replacement referees for opening MLS matches include youth and college soccer officials

The Athletic has obtained the list of referee assignments for this weekend’s Major League Soccer games, which includes officials with widely varying degrees of experience.
While some have been involved extensively in matches in the second and third divisions of the U.S. Soccer pyramid, others are making the leap from the uppermost levels of youth soccer. Some of the assistant referees have largely worked college games.
MLS has been forced to play games with replacement officials after the Professional Referees Organization (PRO) could not come to terms with the Professional Soccer…