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What should punishment be for latest ugly tackle and injury?

JavierMoralesHurt (Getty) 

 

Javier Morales became the latest victim of a horrific leg-breaking tackle this weekend, and now Real Salt Lake is left without its creative leader while MLS must assess what to do with Chivas USA striker Marcos Mondaini, the man who delivered the tackle.

Having just suspended Colorado midfielder Brian Mullan for ten games for his bone-snapping tackle on Steve Zakuani, MLS is very unlikely to take it easy on Mondaini. With Morales joining Zakuani, reigning MLS MVP David Ferreira and D.C. designated player Branko Boskovic on the list of attacking players to suffer long-term injuries due to rough tackles, MLS will need to seriously consider whether or not to hand out another lengthy ban.

In case you haven't seen the Mondaini tackle on Morales, here it is.

Our question for you is similar to the one we asked of the Mullan tackle. How long do you think Mondaini should be suspended for? Think the tackle was worse than Mullan's or think the circumstances merit a shorter suspension this time around?

Cast your vote after the jump:

How did you vote? Think Mondaini's tackle was worse than Mullan's or think it was just a clumsy challenge that doesn't merit a double-digit suspension?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Even more disgusting was Ale Moreno arguing the red card in the ref’s face for 15 minutes while Morales was down..

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  2. I think Mondaini should be ejected from the league, banned, and permanently. No suspension. Why should the MLS tolerate a player who intentionally fouls another and rips his foot from his leg? Morales will never play the same. This could even end his career, or effectively end it. The players should not have to tolerate hack defenders willing to go for blood, and neither should the league, and neither should the fans. If I were on RSL I would have dreamed of personally stomping Mondaini’s cranium in. Imagine the cries for blood if this were Charlie Davies! This, and the Zakuani foul make me physically sick. I’m just getting into the MLS now, but if this continues I’ll find better things to do than watch a bunch of cretins swipe at one another.

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  3. As clumsy and poor of a challenge as this is, I don’t think it’s quite as bad as Mullan’s. Mullan’s was clearly out of frustration and anger for the previous no-call a few seconds earlier. Mondaini’s tackle could perhaps be argued as trying to make a play for the ball. However, he came from behind, and his tackle was clumsy and late. I think 6-8 games and perhaps a fine is fair, which is a little less than Mullan’s 10 games.

    Whatever the punishment, this is a real shame for Morales and RSL…I just hate to see guys get hurt like this because of another player’s lack of control.

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  4. To be perfectly honest, nearly all fouls that warrant straight red generally have a high chance of resulting in serious injury.

    Think of the elbows we see fly sometimes. Players could seriously injure an eye.

    Like I said in my earlier post, I’m on the fence as to the severity of the punishment after a red card.

    In the big leagues (England, Premiere League, La Liga) you see those types of fouls all the time and it only results in a red most times.

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  5. I totally agree with JJ.

    I wouldn’t be so hard and fast with the stats as JJ, but I’d agree. More often than not, the player goes down and gets right back up.

    But we have to remember that flair players are often made of glass.

    Remember Robben being out for weeks after he basically tripped on his own leg.

    It was what’s called a tactical foul. It’s certainly worth a red card. I’m on the fence about the rest.

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  6. No arguable the 2 best players in the league are done for the year…MLS needs to wake up. 10 games and pocket change is way too light!

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  7. BS…whether it’s from behind or the side they both terrible cheap shots. If you want to vent your aggression, be a man and legally shoulder the guy off the ball. Get these sissies out of MLS!

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  8. No, there was no intention to play the ball here…It was impossible at his angle. Get these hacks out of the league or the influx of good players will stop.

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  9. Yes, I knew the Mullan suspension was too light. This is going to continue until MLS gets tough. What a cheap-shot…A scissor slide tackle from behing with no chance at getting the ball. Disgusting MLS!

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  10. this is far worse than Mullan’s challenge. In Mullan’s case he actually had half a shot at playing the ball. I know a lot of people have read into his ‘intent’ and all that BS but the fact remains he was still in a position where the ball could be played. Did he intend to injure Zakuani? I have no idea and neither do you.

    This was just a stupid tackle from behind and tackles from behind are never, ever EVER legal. Ever. So whether he got all ball or not, it is an illegal maneuver. This should be more than 10 if Mullan’s was 10. (and no, I’m a Fire fan not a Colorado fan)

    Some of you are getting too worked up about this kinda stuff too. I hate to see guys hurt but it happens. Sorry. I’ve seen people get a dislocated/broken ankle on a 100% legal challenge before many times. Accidents happen. This is a contact sport after all. Stop sounding like cry babies.

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  11. I’ll try to do my best to parse your highly idiosyncratic use of language. First, it’s not “a broad generalization,” though you do finally realize that it is actually an analogy. So, I’m not sure why you are going on chattering about that a soccer tackle isn’t murder, which misses the entire point of the analogy. Without getting too long winded, the refs “police” the game; they are there to enforce rules. The league acts as the judicial branch in deciding fines and suspension, just like their analogoues counterparts, the judges. So, as should have been obvious from the analogy, because “malice aforethought,” is so hard to establish, we look at what form the end of the action took. So, if someone shoots a gun, regardless of intent, they are going to be punished more harshly if they kill someone than if they don’t. I’m not even sure you understand your last paragraph.

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  12. Then lets use the example of Drunk driving. Does not have to have intent, mitigating circumstances (i.e. impaired judgement = mullan not getting his call). Get in a car wreck. Should the punishment be the same when someone is killed with when someone is not killed. Because you are saying that the results have no bearing. All drunk drivers should be dealt with the same.

    You reall are an idiot that will defend his own opinion no matter what even when there is clearly no basis for that opinion to hold up anywhere in the world.

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