Red Bulls head coach Jesse Marsch has been assessed an undisclosed fine by MLS. (Andy Mead/YCJ Photo)

Red Bulls head coach Jesse Marsch has been fined an undisclosed amount by Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber for statements he made about officiating in his team’s 3-2 loss at New York City FC Sunday.

After the Hudson River Derby at Yankee Stadium, Marsch criticized referee Baldomero Toledo.

“I thought that the referee reffed the score,” he said. “Like all of a sudden we started to get some calls when we went down a goal, but in the meantime, he’s giving them so many soft fouls. So many little things going for them that they end up getting an edge on.

“Even the play that leads to the second goal Kemar Lawrence gets fouled on the sideline and he calls a throw-in. So VAR can’t correct the inability to see a game clearly and make all the little plays right. It can help with the big plays, but then we need refs who can understand how to ref the rest of the game. Cause there is more to the game than the moments that lead to goals and I felt like it was hard to gain momentum within the match when every time a guy goes down on a soft foul, they get a call. It makes it difficult.”

Marsch wasn’t finished.

“And I’ll say this,” he continued. “I haven’t talked about the ref one time this year so I’m not making excuses. I give New York City credit. But I’ve been on my best behavior from referee perspective this year, but this one was too much to swallow.”

Garber also issued undisclosed fines to Columbus Crew SC head coach Gregg Berhalter and Real Salt Lake head coach Mike Petke, a former Red Bulls player and coach, for their public criticisms of game officials.

Front Row Soccer editor Michael Lewis has covered 13 World Cups (eight men, five women), seven Olympics and 25 MLS Cups. He has written about New York City FC, New York Cosmos, the New York Red Bulls and both U.S. national teams for Newsday and has penned a soccer history column for the Guardian.com. Lewis, who has been honored by the Press Club of Long Island and National Soccer Coaches Association of America, is the former editor of BigAppleSoccer.com. He has written seven books about the beautiful game and has published ALIVE AND KICKING The incredible but true story of the Rochester Lancers. It is available at Amazon.com.