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Johnson suspended two games for violent conduct

Eddie Johnson

Photo by ISIPhotos.com

 

By MITCHELL NORTHAM

After winning all four MLS contests in July, August has gotten off to a rough start for D.C. United.

If back-to-back road losses to the Houston Dynamo and Real Salt Lake weren’t enough, it was announced Wednesday that MLS had handed down a two-game suspension and a fine of an undisclosed amount to forward Eddie Johnson for violent conduct towards Real Salt Lake defender Carlos Salcedo in the 30th minute of D.C. United’s 3-0 loss on Saturday.

While Salcedo was on the ground, Johnson kicked the ball at his back after the whistle. Johnson received a yellow card during the game for the incident.

The suspension comes just days after the 30-year-old designated player got into a heated exchange on Twitter with D.C. United fans. At one point, Johnson responded to a fan with a tweet that read, “I’m not here to please your town buddy.”

Johnson will miss upcoming MLS meetings against the Colorado Rapids and Eastern Conference-leading Sporting Kansas City. Although he will be eligible to play, it is unclear if Johnson will play in D.C. United’s CONCACAF Champion’s League group stage game against Waterhouse FC at RFK Stadium August 20.

For Johnson, the suspension marks another bump in the road in what has been a difficult season for him despite the success of the club. This is Johnson’s second suspension this season, with the first coming in May after he was disciplined for recklessly challenging Montreal Impact goalkeeper Troy Perkins.

The season of ups and downs for the forward also included an exclusion from the United States Men’s National Team as coach Jurgen Klinsmann left Johnson off of his World Cup squad.

Johnson has scored just four goals in 19 games for D.C. United this year as well, a down year for him statistically compared to when he scored nine goals in 21 games last season with the Seattle Sounders and 14 goals the year prior in 28 appearances.

Without Johnson for the next two MLS contests, D.C. United will have to look to Chris Rolfe and Fabian Espindola – who recently returned from injury – for goal scoring chances. The pair has combined for 11 goals and 13 assists this season.

MLS has also suspended Montreal Impact midfielder Calum Mallace for one game and fined him an undisclosed amount for violating the league’s policy on entering the field of play, leaving the bench and technical area in the 42nd minute against the Philadelphia Union on Saturday.

What do you think of Johnson’s suspension? Did MLS get this one right?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Of course it is a red card and suspension. Yes, it is not going to seriously injury anyone. But, it was clearly a cheap shot and done on purpose. He got frustrated, threw the defender to the ground and then kicked the ball at him fairly hardly from about 3 feet away. It was just a ridiculous and childish move from a clearly frustrated player that constantly acts like a Diva and thinks way too highly of himself.

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  2. EJ is frustrated because he is playing very poorly. In the most recent game, the announcers were reluctant to criticize him for his horrible play, but they made multiple subtle comments that he has to do better. In m y opinion, he is done as a player. He has lost his athleticism and will not work hard to compete.

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  3. And this is why he was never going to make the USMNT World Cup squad. He is a jerk to his teammates, his club for and the fans. He should know better by now.

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    • A suspension for kick the ball at someone? ITS MADE OF RUBBER. That’s some bullshlt. Megan Rapinoe did fucking leg sweep and kicked a chick, after the whistle, in the first Seattle Reign game and didn’t get suspended.

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      • someone with more time on their hands can look it up, but i’m pretty certain the laws of the game consider the ball to effectively be an extension of the body when it’s thrown/kicked at another player. so this would be like eddie johnson kicking at another player on the ground–easy suspension.

        and it sounds like rapinoe should also have been suspended. not sure what your argument is there.

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