Four-time T&T Football Federation Referee of the Year award recipient, Neil Brizan is among a list of 15 referees for the 20th anniversary edition of the Concacaf Gold Cup which kicks off in the USA next month.
Brizan captured the T&TFF Referee of the Year award in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 while he has also been voted as the T&T Pro League’s top referee on three occasions, 2006, 2008 and 2009. This will be the fourth stint at the Gold Cup for the 41-year-old Brizan who has been an international referee since 2002 and officiated at the 2005, 2007 and 2009 editions.
Commenting on his appointment, Brizan said he was delighted to be selected to officiate at the flagship event of the confederation. “It’s always a pleasure to get selected for the Gold Cup where you will have the chance to learn from the best officials in the regional while officiating matches involving the top countries as well. Heading the list of referees is two-time World Cup veteran Marco Rodriguez of Mexico who returns for a third Gold Cup while Jamaican Courtney Campbell and Trevor Taylor of Barbados also make the grade. Rodriguez, an international referee since 1999, has officiated Mexican league matches since 1997, served at the last two World Cups and also oversaw the finals of the Club World Cup in 2007 and in the Concacaf Champions League in 2009 and 2010.
Another local Ainsley Rochard is included in a 15-man linesman pool which is headed by three-time World Cup veteran Hector Vergara of Canada, all of whom must pass a fitness test in Dallas prior to the opening match June 5. The fitness test will be part of a Concacaf elite referee course May 30-June 4. Other course components will include instruction, guidance and overall preparation for the upcoming competition. The course also serves as preparation for Concacaf's other major competitions this year (CCL and World Cup qualifying). Ten additional referees and 10 assistant referees also will participate in the Course in preparation for next season's Champions League and World Cup qualifying, but not the Gold Cup. Among the 30 designers, 11 Concacaf nations are represented, 10 of whom will be making their competition debuts.
Referees
Gold Cup Referee
Joel Aguilar Chicas (SLV)
Neal Brizan (T&T)
Courtney Campbell (Jamaica)
Francisco Chacon (Mexico)
David Gantar (Canada)
Walter Lopez (Guatemala)
Jair Marrufo (USA)
Marlon Mejia (El Salvador)
Roberto Moreno (Panama)
Jose Benigno Pineda (Honduras)
Walter Quesada (Costa Rica)
Marco Rodriguez (Mexico)
Trevor Taylor (Barbados)
Baldomero Toledo (USA)
Enrico Wijngaarde (Suriname)
Gold Cup Assistant Referee
Jose Luis Camargo (Mexico)
Joe Fletcher (Canada)
Adrian Goddard (Barbados)
Leonel Leal (Costa Rica)
Hermenerito Leal (Guatemala)
Gerson Lopez (Guatemala)
Ricardo Louisville (Suriname)
Ricardo Morgan (Jamaica)
Charles Morgante (USA)
Ainsley Rochard (T&T)
Marvin Torrentera (Mexico)
William Torres (El Salvador)
Oscar Velasquez (Honduras)
Hector Vergara (Canada)
Daniel Williamson (Panama)
Elite Course Referee
Ricardo Arellano (Mexico)
Marco Brea (Cuba)
Raul Castro (Honduras)
Juan Carlos Guerra (Guatemala)
Stanley Lancaster (Guyana)
Valdin Legister (Jamaica)
Jose Gaspar Molina (Honduras)
Oscar Reyna (Guatemala)
Javier Santos (Puerto Rico)
Jeffry Solis (Costa Rica)
Elite Course Asst Referee
Phillipe Briere (Canada)
Warner Castro (Costa Rica)
Melvyn Cruz (Honduras)
Mark Sean Hurd (USA)
Dionn Inniss (Guyana)
Rey Mendoza (Panama)
Alberto Morin (Mexico)
Garnet Page (Jamaica)
William Rocha (Nicaragua)
Juan Zumba (El Salvador)