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Perez suspended for elbow to Harvey

Perez (Getty Images)

Blas Perez has been on the wrong end of a challenge deemed suspension-worthy by the MLS Disciplinary Committee. Now he's the one being suspended.

The FC Dallas striker has been suspended one game and fined an undisclosed amount for his elbow to Vancouver defender Jordan Harvey in their matchup Saturday night. He becomes the ninth player to be suspended under the league's new discipline code.

Perez, who was the victim of Brandon McDonald's harsh challenge in a game earlier this season, was not given a card for the foul, in which he chased down Harvey while pressuring on the end line and delivered the blow to the left back's head while running across him. He was booked for another foul later in the match.

Because FC Dallas plays Real Salt Lake Wednesday night, Perez' suspension needed to be announced Tuesday, but the league can still review other plays from Week 7 and act accordingly if it sees fit to do so.

Video of Perez' foul is after the jump:

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Do you think Perez deserved a suspension? Who else from Week 7 do you think might have some discipline coming their way?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. The Disciplinary Committee needs to address tackles from behind and other dangerous fouls which can (and has) result in players being injured. If they are going to use retroactive video display to issue suspensions, then they need to use them for any form of dangerous play. We had three (3) of the most entertaining attacking players taken out for the season last year because of dangerous tackles.

    Do we want a thuggish, physical league or an interesting league with beautiful football being played ?

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  2. At this point, I have no idea what the Disciplinary Committee is doing. If this is worthy of a suspension, then why wasn’t Songo’o suspended when he biked Alston in the face? Why was Henry’s studs up challenge on Wondo okay? Until they start announcing which plays were reviewed and specifically why one received punishment while another didn’t, this “system” seems arbitrary at best.

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  3. And you do Graham? you work for MLS? How can you discipline, review and suspend a player who didnt even get a yellow for the challenge? The ref is right there.

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  4. Exactly Oscar. Blas has been tackled from behind so many times, Bonjour for example tackled him 2-3 times harshly that merited a suspension and he didnt get anything? and to suspend Blas for this..the league office is a JOKE.

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  5. If you look at video he is running hard to get the ball..and does get the ball with back turned..and first rule in soccer is you protect yourself with the bows..going up in headers, when you’re going in for a challenge, etc..

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  6. EXACTLY Adam! Finally someone with some sense. He didnt even get a yellow for that how can you go back and suspend him? Baffling!

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  7. “never raised his elbow” you’re absolutely right, except that he added a little unnecessary hop so that his elbow was in the right position. He jumped into the guy.

    And even if you don’t buy that argument, he still led with his elbow into the guy’s face. At a minimum, that’s a yellow, and to me there’s intent there.

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  8. Retroactive punishments seem a bit bizarre. If they are going to do this, then they need to issue retroactive yellows/reds for tackles from behind which go through the legs… or tackles where cleats meet feet/legs and not ball…

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  9. I’m glad MLS is finally using video footage to address key foul play. I don’t know why it took so long to implement but at least it is being done now.

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  10. All ball? That has nothing to do with an elbow. He clearly led with an elbow.

    And oh yeah, to my knowledge, just because you “get ball” doesn’t mean there isn’t a foul. That argument always drives me nuts.

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  11. Sometimes I defend players. Not here. Perez raised his elbow deliberately to clear Harvey. Not cool. He could have gone in with a shoulder charge. He didn’t. This was deliberate.

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  12. Seriously? He knocked that guy out on his feet. Perez’s elbow came straight through and he had his whole body weight behind it.

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  13. That’s so blatant the refs should be suspended for not giving him a straight red card in the match. Particularly the ref in that corner, who saw this at point blank range. He is clearly incompetent if he missed that.

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  14. he never raised his elbow – hes just bigger and the one who is moving at full speed.

    i have no team affiliation here but i feel it’s a bit harsh. collisions happen and it is unfortunate when it hits someone’s head, but in this case i think the league is panicking b/c everyone wants to deal with concussions with white gloves.

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  15. 6’3 going after a ball with a 5’9 guy, of course elbow is going to meet face. No bad intention in this, he got all ball, Harvey acted like a little girl as well.

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  16. Suspension worthy in my opinion. I like that the league is cracking down on dangerous plays this year. Shoulder to shoulder is league, elbow to face is not.

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