The Mexican referee Marco Ortiz will officiate the match between the Saudi national team and their American counterpart, scheduled for early Friday, as part of the second round of Group D in the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Ortiz, 37 years old, is known for his numerous decisive refereeing decisions, as he is accustomed to issuing red cards and awarding penalties in many matches, both domestically and internationally.

The match will take place at the Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas, amid great anticipation from fans due to the Mexican's extensive refereeing record in previous editions of the tournament.

Ortiz has officiated four matches in the history of the Gold Cup, including two in the 2019 edition and two in the 2023 edition, with one of the most notable being the match between the USA and Canada that went to penalty kicks.

In that match, he awarded a penalty to Canada in stoppage time, which led to the equalizing goal, pushing the match into extra time and then to penalty shootouts.

In addition to his participation in the Gold Cup, Ortiz has officiated matches in international tournaments such as the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup, the Caribbean Cup, the Leagues Cup, and the Central American Cup.

According to the Transfermarkt platform, Ortiz has officiated 395 matches, issuing 1,730 yellow cards and 131 red cards, including 91 direct expulsions, along with awarding 127 penalties.

The referee's average for red cards is nearly one every three matches, while his average for awarding penalties is close to the same rate, and the average for yellow cards exceeds four per match.

Ortiz's whistle raises concerns among Green fans, especially considering the sensitivity of the match and the difficulty of the group, making discipline on the field a crucial requirement for Saudi players.