Noel Kenny, who has five years of MLS service under his belt, was honored by being chosen referee of the 2001 MLS All-Star Game. A 42-year-old native of Ireland, Kenny officiated for 10 years in the Irish Second Division. Kenny has been in the U.S. for the last 12 years and currently is a buyer for an electronics firm in Armonk, N.Y. He is the focus of the edition of Socceramerica.comÆs referee series, ôView from the Middle.ö INTERVIEW BY BRYAN ALVAREZ SOCCER AMERICA: What is the toughest call in soccer? NOEL KENNY: Calling a penalty kick. It could decide the outcome of the game. There’s a 90 percent chance of a goal being scored. SA: What could be done to make the officials’ jobs easier? NK: Less dissent. SA: Is there such a thing as a “make-up” call? NK: No. SA: So how has this term come into use? NK: In the minds of players and coaches, any call going the other way can sometimes be seen as make-up call. SA: What rule change would you like to see? NK: Something that would benefit attacking soccer and its entertainment value. SA: What’s the worst thing about being a referee? NK: Getting injured. SA: What makes refereeing worthwhile for you? NK: Doing a job well done. When you finish a game and both teams feel like they got a fair shake, that makes it worthwhile. SA: What’s been your most frightening moment? NK: It happened in Ireland at the junior level, I got punched in the nose by a player on a penalty call. SA: Your most embarrassing moment? NK: If you miss a call. Then, when you look at the tape and it should have been an obvious call. That’s embarrassing. SA: During your playing days, were you ever red-carded? NK: Never. SA: How important is playing experience to being a good ref? NK: It’s very important. You feel a loss for the players. You can feel a tackle. You’ve been there. Also, you can read the game better. It’s very important.