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Johnson fined for gesture in Chicago

Johnson (Getty Images)

The MLS Disciplinary Committee sees all, even what happens after the final whistle when players are on their way back to the locker room.

The league fined Seattle Sounders forward Eddie Johnson an undisclosed amount for "making an inappropriate gesture" toward fans as he was retreating to the tunnel at Toyota Park following Seattle's 2-1 victory over the Chicago Fire on Saturday night.

The incident in question came after the two teams came to blows after a late challenge deep into stoppage time by Jalil Anibaba, one that earned him a red card. Johnson scored the game-winning goal in the match, his first since rejoining MLS, but he also took his time in leaving the field when he was subbed off, leading to referee Michael Kennedy extending stoppage time by two full minutes.

Just because Johnson's gesture was the only incident identified by the league, it may not be the only extra discipline the league chooses to enforce from that match. Just last week the MLS DC showed last week that it will dissect games and incidents over the course of a few days, doing so with Gabriel Farfan's red-card challenge on James Riley that sparked personnel from the Philadelphia Union and Chivas USA to leave the bench.

Do you expect to see more discipline issued after the Seattle-Chicago fight? Think Johnson deserved to be fined?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Your photo shows he is clearly even with the Chicago player at the top of the screen. The Chicago player’s front foot is inside the 6 yard box. Johnson is in the same spot, straddling the 6 yard box.

    I know the photo is at an angle, and perspective is hard for some people to remember to account for, but there’s a line there that should make it easier for you.

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  2. ::Yawn:: The committee will get it right when the Sounders that were involved also get suspended a match.

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  3. Blah blah blah… what about the choke hold on Pappa? Funny how every Sounder fan thinks they were angels in the whole scuffle. And thug ball? Seriously? I guess you haven’t noticed that’s the game Seattle and Sigi play all the time. Foul till you no longer get away with it.

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  4. do you attend practices? Perhaps the “talent” you suggest we brought in is simply not performing. Perhaps Paladini is in form at practice?

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  5. Chicago should be fined for such a poor display at home. Why do they play guys like Paladini and Pause when they have added so much talent?

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  6. Anibaba came in with both feet on a dangerous late challenge that scissored Gonzales’s leg. Its clear why he was suspended.

    Klopas argued the call and got in the face of the official. He knows better given his position for the club. Again, a clear infringement.

    Johnson made a gesture toward the crowd. Different entirely from the above two scenarios.

    Discipline committee got this one right.

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  7. My playoff predictions:
    Fire – in
    Sounders – out

    Sounders supporters need to quit whining about the MLS. Most supporters just discovered soccer 3 years ago and their knowledge of the game is apparent in their posts.

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  8. Kennedy was the worst ref I’ve seen in a game in a LONG time. He is the reason the match got out of control. And agreed. The favoritism by this league at times makes it hard to be a supporter.

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  9. Why is Johnson fined but Klopas and Anibaba are suspended? The Seattle Sounders have been Garber’s pet since they came into the league.

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  10. I agree with you BSU SC. They aren’t going to get every call right but I like the effort and there will always be people mad at their decisions especially when it involves their team but I like the forethought of the league in this instance to try and clean up play and produce a better product!

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  11. +1

    These Committee actions will help make the MLS less of a brutally physical league, which hopefully will increase level of play.

    By reducing the amount of diving and rolling on the ground, it will also improve the game’s popularity. I wish FIFA would follow suit.

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  12. It was the Italian fist “fongul” gesture. Next MLS will be handing out infractions when someone makes the “ok” gesture because it offende some Brazilian.

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  13. Agreed.

    That plus goalline tech, plus additional referees at both goallines to have an extra pair of eyes on the penalty area, and things would be in much better shape.

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  14. I agree. They need to set a precedent that this league will not tolerate thug ball any longer. It is a work in progress, but a step in the right direction.

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  15. I might be in the minority with my opinion, but I think the MLS Disciplinary Committee has done excellent work thus far. I think every league in the world in addition to FIFA should have similar committees in place. It would really have a positive impact on the game.

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  16. Stupid of EJ to make a gesture like that. I expect to see some additional discipline coming out of this game. One of the Chicago players flat out slapped Brad Evans in the face. More thug ball the entire game from Chicago. Rosales gets taken out within minutes of the game starting by yet another dirty tackle from Segares. I really hope the league continues to crack down on these plays. The dirty Anibaba tackle that started the entire thing never would have happened if the ref wouldn’t have added 2 minutes of stoppage time for about 30 seconds of EJ time wasting when he was walking off the field.

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