Chicago Fire midfielder Cuauhtemoc Blanco has been fined $7,500 by MLS for his actions during the Fire’s U.S. Open Cup loss against D.C. United on July 8th.
Blanco has been suspended for the next two U.S. Open Cup tournaments (in 2009 and 2010, and potentially longer depending on how far Chicago goes in the tournaments) by U.S. Soccer but avoided an MLS suspension for actions that included punching an opponent and allegedly attempting to gouge the eyes of D.C. midfielder Clyde Simms and allegedly head-butting a member of D.C. United’s match-day staff.
Blanco will be serving an MLS suspension this weekend. He won’t play in Chicago’s match against Chivas USA on Saturday due to a suspension for yellow-card accumulation.
What do you think of the punishment? Should MLS have suspended Blanco? Is a $7,500 fine a just punishment or more a waste of time? Will we ever see the video of Blanco’s actions that D.C. United submitted to U.S. Soccer?
Share your thoughts below.