BECKS had best behave or MSA executive director H ©ctor Vergara will have something to say about it. Vergara, also a FIFA assistant referee, has been appointed to the Canadian crew that will officiate today's exhibition game in Edmonton featuring soccer superstar David Beckham and his Los Angeles Galaxy against the Vancouver Whitecaps.
It will be the fifth time Vergara has officiated in a game involving Beckham, which he said draws a huge amount of attention from media, fans and other players.
Hector Vergara
"Players are, for the most part, respectful but there's always the loony one out there, that wants to make a name for himself by doing something silly on a player of that magnitude so you have to be very aware of that situation," said Vergara. "But the other side of it is you can't let him get away with things that you would call on others. But players at this level understand a game like this is a business transaction and it benefits both sides."
He said Vancouver would like to get a team in the MLS, which only has one Canadian team, in Toronto, at this time.
"There's a lot of attention that comes with it and as referees we have to just concentrate on the game but it's definitely fun to do it," said Vergara, who also officiated in an earlier exhibition game between the two teams last December in B.C. in which Vancouver missed a penalty kick that could have won the game, which ended 0-0.
PREVIOUS
