Roberto Garcia Doesn’t Like US Soccer Teams

Prior to the June 3 Copa America Centenario, Colombia’s head coach expressed concern at a press conference that the referee of their opening match against the United States would show bias towards the home team. He had no need to worry.

According to the statistics compiled by WorldReferee.com, Roberto Garcia — the Mexican official selected to officiate the match between the US and Colombia— has officiated 26 international matches involving a team from the US, Europe, Oceania or Asia. In those matches, he has NEVER awarded a team from the US, Europe, Oceania or Asia a penalty kick. He has awarded four against them.

In fact, the only non-Latin American team that has ever been given a penalty kick by Roberto Garcia in international play: Iraq’s U-20 squad in the Group Stage of the 2013 U-20 World Cup (a match against England).

The statistics on yellow cards are not much better. He’s officiated 17 matches involving a team from the United States against a team from Latin America. In those matches, he’s issued 36 yellow cards to the US teams and only 20 to their opponents. He’s issued at least one yellow to every US team he’s officiated except the 2012 Olympic team playing against Cuba. In only 2 of 17 matches has the US team received fewer yellow cards than their Latin American opponent. In two matches they each received the same number of yellow cards. (In one of those the US received a red card.) In five matches, the US team received at least two more yellows than their opponent. In 12 of 17 matches, the US team received at least two yellows. (Their opponents earned multiple yellows in only 4 of 17 matches.)