Photo by Ron Chenoy/USA Today Sports
By CARL SETTERLUND
The MLS Disciplinary Committee had a busy week, issuing three suspensions, three fines and a warning, highlighted by a fine and two-match ban for the Colorado Rapids’ Marcelo Sarvas.
The Seattle Sounders’ Clint Dempsey went down after a Sarvas challenge in the 40th minute of their game on Saturday, a 3-1 Sounders win. After the play, the Rapids midfielder appeared to drag his cleat across Dempsey before stomping down in his groin area.
MLS ruled the play to be violent conduct that endangered the safety of an opponent. Referee Drew Fischer, who had a bird’s-eye view of the play, did not book Sarvas at the time.
The Sounders’ Chad Marshall received a fine and one-game suspension for a yellow-card takedown of the Rapids’ Vicente Sánchez in the 13th minute of the same game. Meanwhile, New York City FC goalkeeper Josh Saunders is suspended one game and also received a fine after his two-footed tackle against the Portland Timbers’ Ishmael Yartey in the 69th minute of NYCFC’s 1-0 loss on Sunday.
Columbus Crew SC was also handed a fine after violating the league’s mass confrontation policy for a second consecutive week. The Crew were warned after an incident with the New England Revolution two weekends ago, and they got carried away again versus Orlando City SC on Saturday.
Lastly, the MLS Disciplinary Committee issued an official warning to the New England Revolution’s Charlie Davies for revealing an unsanctioned undergarment during his 64th-minute goal celebration that said “HAPPY BIRTHDAY NINA!!” in reference to his wife’s 29th birthday.
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What do you think of the league’s disciplinary decisions? How many matches would you have given Sarvas? Did the league get a little carried away with Davies?
Share your thoughts below.
OT, but still discipline-related: how crazy is it that Montreal’s GK will miss the second leg for that questionable yellow, but not the guy who took down Oduro? Allez Montreal!
Terrible. And their #2 is cap tied with KC – if they don’t win the appeal the they are going into the final with a USL keeper
For a country and continent that IMO is better at watching soccer than playing it these disciplinary measures are surprisingly terrible.
“For a country and continent that IMO is better at watching soccer than playing it these disciplinary measures are surprisingly terrible.”
Never too late in the week to rip on soccer where we live!
It is terrible, but I don’t think it matters with Montreal. Sign me to a one day contract.
They have been all but eliminated, only to come back, they have lost two starters already, they gave up 28 shots last game and almost recorded a shutout.
They are the team of destiny.
Columbus Crew SC got “carried away” because Ramos tried to break one of their players legs.
Pretty much. The Ramos tackle was right in front of where I was sitting and at full speed, it looked pretty malicious and incredibly dangerous. Shame on the Crew for getting a little heated over it. In all seriousness, I thought that was the definition of a tackle that warranted an additional game(s) ban.
How does Ramos not get an extended ban or fine for his reckless idiocy against Columbus on Saturday?
MLS logic: He didn’t actually cause an injury? 1 match is fine.
Apparently intent to harm doesn’t count if there is no injury involved.
In all seriousness though Orlando is one of Garber’s protected clubs. The less bad press OSC gets the better in his eyes. If Harrington for example made that tackle for Colorado you best believe he would be getting a large ban.
How does anyone stomp on another man’s “groin area” while wearing cleats? Or at all for that matter.
In this case, because he is protected by the civilized people around him and the rules of the game.
It’s Clint Dempsey. Not exactly the classiest player around.
Which is probably the worst defense ever. “Well, the guy that got stomped isn’t a saint anyways, so should we really care?” Yes, we should, because when scumbags are allowed to act like scumbags towards other scumbags, we give them the permission to act like scumbags to everyone.