New Jersey native Mark Geiger will participate in his fifth match of the 2014 FIFA World Cup on Tuesday. Geiger was selected as the fourth official for Tuesday’s semifinal showdown between Germany and Brazil in Belo Horizonte.
The former math teacher at Lacy Township High School has earned high praise for his work in Brazil so far. Geiger was the head official for two group-stage games between Colombia and Greece and Spain and Chile. His performance in those two games earned him a third game in the middle of the pitch.
In the round of 16, Geiger became the first American to officiate a knockout game in a World Cup when France defeated Nigeria, 2-0, on June 30. Geiger did receive some criticism from Nigerian head coach Stephen Keshi following last Monday’s match, but FIFA was impressed enough by Geiger’s overall performance to select him for Tuesday’s game.
Tuesday will mark Geiger’s second match as the fourth official in this World Cup. Geiger will support Marco Rodriguez, the official during the Italy-Uruguay match that saw Uruguayan forward Luis Suarez bite Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini.
A member of the Professional Referee’s Organization (PRO), Geiger has officiated over 100 games in MLS.
