MLS referee Kathryn Nesbitt will tally another first this week, as she is set to become the first woman to officiate a Concacaf League final. She is assigned to be the assistant referee in Wednesday's Concacaf League final between Costa Rica's Alaljuelense and Deportivo Saprissa.
The game marks her debut in the tournament, but it will not be her first time refereeing in Concacaf. She was a referee at the 2016 and 2020 women's Olympic qualifying tournaments, and additionally was a referee at the 2019 women's World Cup.
"I expect this match to be competitive and full of enthusiasm," Nesbitt told Concacaf's website. "It will be energetic with a high tempo style of play and will require referees to be prepared and work hard."
The last year has seen Nesbitt record a number of accomplishments after six seasons of working in MLS. She became the first woman to officiate an MLS final during last summer's MLS is Back Tournament, and followed that up with an assignment at MLS Cup. As a result, she became the first woman to referee the championship match in a major men's professional sports league in North America.
She earned MLS' Assistant Referee of the Year award last year, becoming the first woman to do so.
