New York Red Bulls: Does Jesse Marsch have a point with disrespected young players?

After the New York Red Bulls’ loss to Orlando City on Saturday, Jesse Marsch suggested that young players are disrespected by referees. Does he have a point?

Jesse Marsch once again rolled out a lineup full of youngsters and MLS newcomers in the New York Red Bulls’ loss to Orlando City with one of the biggest games in club history coming four days later. In total, there were five players in the starting XI under or at the age of 23.

It’s a risk that Jesse Marsch has built his coaching career on in New York.

Integrating youth while achieving optimal results is a dilemma that most coaches struggle with or ignore altogether. While youth integration is a core principle in the Red Bull mantra, at the same time, Marsch has no choice with a packed schedule. Mid-week CONCACAF Champions League games encouraged him to take even more risks with young players, yielding plenty of early success. Ben Mines became one of the most talked about players in MLS after the 17-year-old scored in his first-ever appearance. Kyle Duncan, prior to his injury at the weekend, was a key part of the defensive rotation. Tyler Adams as a key cog in the midfield machine.

While the reward for taking a risk with young players is sweet, it is also fraught with danger. Part of soccer, or any sport for that matter, is dealing with referees and their decisions, and veteran players obviously have more experience with that constant struggle. Younger players can lack the ability to plead their cases and influence the decisions of professional referees.

Marsch believes it’s an issue of respect:

"I think there has been four league games where our team has not been treated with the same respect as the opponent, based on the fact there are a lot of young players on the field. And that’s often from the referees…"

Prior Complaints

HARRISON, NJ – OCTOBER 30: New York Red Bulls head coach Jesse Marsch during the second half of the MLS Cup Playoff game between the New York Red Bulls and Toronto FC on October 30, 2017, at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, NJ. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

This is not the first time Marsch has been vocal in his opinion that referees dole out preferential treatment. In July of 2017, MLS handed him a fine after his comments following the New York Derby. Marsch believed refs were more likely to award fouls to star players, like David Villa, Andrea Pirlo or Frank Lampard, as opposed to guys with less name recognition.

And on Saturday, Marsch once again voiced that same sentiment:

"… the league may not like me saying this. If people want to credit us for developing players and playing young players which I think everybody should feel good, like that’s something that’s necessary in this country, then we have to make sure that they are protected and they are treated correctly, and that they’re not abused."

There are just 27 on-field referees in MLS, and their tendencies are well-known among players, organizations and fans alike. Over time, relationships between players and referees are formed, which can protect veterans and leave young players stranded.

FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – JUNE 10: Referee Jair Marrufo, USA, points to the penalty spot to give Chile a stoppage time penalty for a hand ball decision during the Chile Vs Bolivia Group D match of the Copa America Centenario USA 2016 Tournament at Gillette Stadium on June 10, 2016 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images) /

Many questioned Jair Marrufo’s handling of a goal-deciding call in Saturday’s game. But Marsch seemed to be more focused on the smaller calls, opposed to the aforementioned no-call. It is the seemingly innocuous fouls in the middle of the field, and how they are handled, which he is upset about. And it’s true, fouls can disrupt the flow of the game and impact calls down the line. On Saturday, Jair Marrufo called 14 fouls on New York compared to just 9 on Orlando in a chippy contest between the two.

But this isn’t the first time Marsch saw discrepancies in the officiating decisions,

"So, I do think four games in a row, the calls haven’t equaled out the way they should. Now with that being said, we have to stick to things we can control and continue to do that. And actually when we play in these CONCACAF games, even though we have played young guys, that we have gotten a pretty fair shake."

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With that being said, Marsch is aware there is only so much you can do to combat referee decisions. And this will certainly not be the last time we hear him take a jab at a referee’s calls, or the lack thereof. The New York Red Bulls will certainly benefit from a kinder young-player outlook from the referees. But, in this instance, he may just have a point.

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