Photo by ISIphotos.com
Kei Kamara will not be in uniform for the Houston Dynamo’s regular-season finale Saturday night against Chivas USA because of an MLS suspension. FC Dallas midfielder Pablo Ricchetti was already banned for his team’s meaningless game against the Galaxy Sunday, but he’ll also have to sit for Dallas’ 2009 opener. Veterans Bobby Rhine and Jaime Moreno both announced retirements — Moreno called it quits from the international game, playing his final game last night for Bolivia at RFK Stadium.
Kamara, who already served a one-game suspension for being sent off against San Jose, was hit with an additional one-game ban and a $500 fine by the Major League Soccer Disciplinary Committee for his elbow to Nick Garcia’s face in a game on Oct. 15.
Ricchetti was sent off with a straight red card because of a dangerous challenge on Will Johnson of Real Salt Lake one minute from full time in a 3-1 loss to Real Salt Lake that eliminated Dallas from playoff contention on Saturday night.
The Argentine then shoved Ian Joy in the face in a confrontation that followed the red card, earning him an additional one-game suspension to be served at the start of the 2009 season. Like Kamara, Ricchetti has also been fined an additional $250, bringing his grand total to $500.
The end of the line
After playing his entire 10-year Major League Soccer career with FC Dallas, Bobby Rhine has called it quits and will play his last game Sunday against the Los Angeles Galaxy at the Home Depot Center.
Rhine was picked sixth overall in the 1999 MLS SuperDraft and played forward, right back and right midfield in his decade in Dallas. He is second on the club’s all-time list with 211 games played, third in career assists (34) and seventh in goals (23).
“It is with mixed emotions that I announce my retirement from Major League Soccer following our last game of this season, on Sunday in Los Angeles,” Rhine said in a letter released by the club. “I am proud of my ten year career with the Dallas Burn and FC Dallas; however, I am sad to be leaving the game and the team that I love.”
Speaking of retirement, D.C. United veteran Jaime Moreno played his final game for the Bolivian national team in a friendly against El Salvador at RFK Stadium on Wednesday night.
The 34-year-old, who has been capped 74 times in his 17-year career with Bolivia, entered the match to a loud ovation from the Bolivian supporters – and boos from the Salvadorians – in the 72nd minute of the 2-0 loss. He nearly scored in his final game with Bolivia, but his 88th minute header was cleared off the line.
“It was very emotional,” said Monreo, who officially announced his retirement from international soccer on Monday. “Maybe I didn’t show anything, but I’ve had a lot of thoughts in my head when I was there, walking off the field and I was thinking ‘this is it, this is my last game, this is the last time I wear my green jersey’. I don’t think you realize it until you get off [the field] and go into the locker room and realize it’s all over."
Yep, and the worst part is Garcia can’t take what he dishes. In other words, a sissy. You never would have caught Roy Keane wah, wah, wah-ing all the way home …
Looks like Kamera got a red card for crapping his pants. Like me!
I used to hate Nick Garcia…then we got him. Unsurprisingly, i now find his reputation as a thug exaggerated.
m___s:
no draft pick penalty, of course. but since MLS is a single entity that approves all contracts (and indeed cuts the checks) no player with a contract that violates the league rules will be approved. And no player not under contract to MLS (and therefore a member of the Player’s Union) can appear for an MLS team in anything but a reserve match.
JayBoy: I don’t think that is true, technically. No player can make over $400,000 a year save the DP. (and those, now two who were grandfathered and remain in the league)
I see.
I’ve understood (and seen) that the Galaxy are awful, but now I know why they are awful. That makes a lot of sense.
No draft pick penalty, or anything, though? I’ve seen mentions on some other, lesser message boards, and thought I’d come here for some expertise.
Thanks for your help.
m____s – the easiest answer is that the DP slot actually allows a team to pay a player an infinite amount of money, with only $400,000 counting towards the salary cap. Technically, I believe Seattle could hire someone else for $1 million a year, but they still would have to work within the constraints of the salary cap ($2.3 mill/yr). That would leave them with $900,000 for the other 20 or so players. For more information on why this is a terrible idea, see “Galaxy, Los Angeles”
seattle fan u have to wait till after the season about the DP rule becuz the cap in the league will be raised and there will be 2 dps per team potentially. so my guess is that this will go throgh and seattle will be able to have two dps
Hello Ives/Wise Readers of Ives…
I’m an old soccer fan, newly intrigued by the MLS. (I live in Seattle). I’m wondering about the DP rule.
Seattle clearly gets one DP, and I know that no MLS team can have more than two.
But, is there a penalty if Seattle signs two DPs? Would we lose any draft picks, or anything?
I appreciate the help…
Nothing wrong w/ an Oscar winning dive every now and then, says the Italian Colombian Fusion fan. Ditto on Moreno great guy and Garcia, not so much!
Jaime played 17 years for his national team and has been in DC for 12. He is loyal, hard-working and a leader. It is likely that his goal record will be passed so let’s let him enjoy it and pay tribute to a guy who who has played for country and club for one heck of a long time.
Yeah, I know Kreis wouldn’t be number one anymore. I just don’t like Moreno and I’m peeved that sooooo many of his goals came from PKs as opposed to Kreis.
The Kamara suspension gets under my skin because of the principle of the matter: a thuggish defender with a vendetta against a former teammate uses the bureaucracy as a weapon to carry out his vendetta. And why is he so mad? Because Kamara acted uppity. Like he “ruled the roost.” Gasp.
The worst part is that Garcia’s schoolboy grudge is being supported and rewarded by the MLS oligarchy. Garcia is a proven liar on at least two of his claims (that Kamara kicked and spat at him), so why should we assume that he’s telling the truth about the things that can’t be proven? Even his own coach said post-game that he didn’t see any incident, and the event happened right in front of his bench.
Garcia’s forte is killing the game on the field, and now he’s expanded it to kill other players’ game off the field.
I don’t care where you are from, or who you hate, I always pay homage to those who have put their heart and soul into a club team, or their country’s national team. Much respect to these two veterans of the beautiful game.
Regarding the officials constantly bungling red cards and yellow cards and no cards, they always seem to get it wrong. I thought I heard the announcers on Fox Soccer channel the other day (Watching Los Pumas beat up the Dynamo) talking about some league (EPL?) possibly experimenting with 2 extra refs on the field? Another couple of pairs of eyes….would that help or hurt the game? Too many non-players on the field? Maybe, but I like the idea. How many times have we seen entire teams seemingly jump down a ref’s throat and “pressure” a card out of him? In a sport full of Oscar-winning divers, they can use the all the help they can get.
RPH: Is your problem that Moreno passed Kreis with a penalty kick (like when Donovan passed the USMNT record with a penalty kick) or that you think the person with the highest number of goals minus penalty kicks should be awarded the top spot?
If the former, that’s just the way the game is played. If the latter, then Ante Razov would be above Kreis in the total goal (minus pk) output. Either way, Kreis (as great a coach, player, and person he is) wouldn’t be #1 according to either criteria (total or total minus pks). Just something to consider.
If Kamara gets a red card for elbowing a thug, what does the thug get for being a thug, the death penalty?
Oops, guess not.
It’s MLS,. do maybe Defender of the Year, or some other meaningless trifle …
Moreno is the man! Much respect!
The red card on Kamara was a joke. The extra game even more so. Did Kamara catch Garcia in the throat? Yes, though it was more like Garcia ran up behind Kamara and that’s where his arm went. It wasn’t intentional, the only people who seem to believe it was were Garcia and the linesman who told the ref it was a red card. The TV camera’s didn’t catch the contact either, the closest we get is a picture of Garcia crumpling to the ground and Kamara looking (in the other direction) at the ball as it came to him.
Then, after the game, Garcia starts breathing fire about how Kamara kicked him when he was on the ground and spit on him… two things the camera caught him NOT doing. Garcia says he’s going to submit a complaint to the league.
My guess on MLS’ logic? Since the Dynamo are in the top spot regardless, suspend Kamara another game to placate Garcia and however much of San Jose was backing him in his complaint. I just wish they could do something to shut up Garcia when what MLS can prove is that he’s lying.
moreno legend.
him and el diablo are the reason i started watching soccer anyways, at the 94 world cup. we bolivians are a tiny bunch, but proud.
I wish Moreno would retire from soccer in general. I’m still pissed that he passed Kreis by scoring PKs.