Sorin Stoica (born January 5, 1976, in

Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...

) is an American

soccer referee In association football, the referee is the person responsible for interpreting and enforcing the Laws of the Game during a match. The referee is the final decision-making authority on all facts connected with play, and is the match officia ...

from

Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...

. Stoica made his

Major League Soccer Major League Soccer (MLS) is a professional Association football, soccer league in North America and the highest level of the United States soccer league system. It comprises 30 teams, with 27 in the United States and 3 in Canada, and is sanc ...

refereeing debut in a 2012 match between the

Houston Dynamo Houston Dynamo Football Club is an American professional soccer club based in Houston. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference. Established on December 15, 2005, the club was founded after their fo ...

and the

New York Red Bulls The New York Red Bulls are an American professional association football, soccer club based in the New York metropolitan area. The Red Bulls compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference (MLS), Eastern Conferenc ...

Notable matches

On September 8, 2013, Stoica sent off

New England Revolution The New England Revolution are an American professional association football, soccer club based in the Greater Boston area. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference (MLS), Eastern Conference. It is on ...

goalkeeper

Matt Reis Matt Reis ( ; born March 28, 1975) is an American former soccer player and coach who played as a goalkeeper. A long-time Major League Soccer mainstay, he has served as goalkeeper coach for LA Galaxy and the United States. Youth and college Reid ...

in the fifth minute after Reis fouled Montreal Impact forward Marco Di Vaio in the box. Reis had gone to ground to attempt to block a shot and tripped Di Vaio with his hand after Di Vaio misplayed the ball. On July 5, 2015, Stoica sent off

Orlando City SC Orlando City Soccer Club is an American professional soccer club based in Orlando, Florida. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. Owned by Zygi, Leonard, and Mark Wilf, it is the sister club of ...

star

Kaká Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite (; born 22 April 1982), commonly known as Kaká () or Ricardo Kaká, is a Brazilian former professional Association football, footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. In his prime at A.C. Milan, AC Mil ...

for the first time in the Brazilian's long career after the 31-year old midfielder stomped on a

Real Salt Lake Real Salt Lake (RSL) is an American professional Association football, soccer club based in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference (MLS), Western Conference. Fou ...

player. On July 29, 2015, Stoica was the fourth official to Ismail Elfath for the

2015 MLS All-Star Game The 2015 Major League Soccer All-Star Game, the 20th annual Major League Soccer All-Star Game, took place on July 29, 2015 (9 p.m. EDT, 7 p.m. local time) at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in the Denver suburb of Commerce City, Colorado, the hom ...

References

1976 births Living people American soccer referees Romanian emigrants to the United States Major League Soccer referees North American Soccer League (2011–2017) referees Sportspeople from Ohio {{US-footy-bio-stub