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As if things couldn't get any worse for the last-place San Jose Earthquakes, now comes word that defender Chris Leitch has been suspended for the Earthquakes' match vs. Columbus on Wednesday night for striking Houston's Brian Ching in the face with a knee during San Jose's 3-1 loss to Houston on Saturday.
The MLS Disciplinary Committee ruled quickly late on Tuesday with the Wednesday match looming, and chose to suspend Leitch on a play that didn't even draw a yellow card from referee Alex Prus. Leitch has been one of the few bright spots for the Earthquakes this season, having recorded a team-high and career-best four assists since joining the Earthquakes from New York in the off-season. The suspension is the first in Leitch's eight-year MLS career. He has never been issued a red card in MLS.
Here is a replay of the incident in question:
What do you think of the decision? Was the league right to suspend Leitch for a game, or do you think MLS overreacted on this one?
Share your thoughts below.
Leitch was going for the ball. The reason Ching got kneed in the face is that he was already down on the ground but still trying to control the ball and keep it from SJ.
The Dynamo are a very physical team and if you put yourself in dangerous situations, you are going to take some knocks. That’s what happened to Ching.
If Brian hadn’t gotten cut and bled all over I doubt it would have warranted a suspension. I can’t say if Leitch was being negligent or not, but this is the style of play that Houston practices so they shouldn’t be surprised if their opponents respond in kind.
That jackass should be suspended for 3 games. It was clearly deliberate – anyone who has ever played soccer would know. What a jerk!
lietch rules. Ching blows.
Chase: Good god, man, if I’m the voice of reason, this place must be a mad house!
Anyway…why are we talking about intent? Intent has nothing to do with it. It’s a dangerous play. (If he INTENDED to hurt him, it’s assault and battery.) He made no effort to avoid hitting Ching he ran across a player on the ground and kneed him in the face. It’s dangerous play, pure and simple regardless of what he “intended”.
The whole intent thing reminds me of coaching U8s, where you start to see fouls called. Kids equate fouls with “being bad”. A player trips and attacker, a foul is called and the first thing they shout is, “I didn’t mean it!”. I then patiently explain that no one thinks they were being bad or mean, and that tripping a player by accident is still a foul. I then give them a huge and send them back out.
I didn’t expect to have to give out hugs here…
That last sentence should read: Ching should not have expected any greater protection from the ref than a player going for a diving header at knee-level would expect if a defender kicks at it.
I would argue that the suspension is unjustified. The incident may have been dangerous, but Leitch was only defending as usual. The play was dangerous because Ching was on the ground. Had Ching not tried to play the ball, I would be in favor of an even harsher suspension for Leitch. However, Ching played the ball while on the ground, which is legal, but it required Leitch to make a challenge. Since the challenge was still a bit clumsy (thus the knee contacting Ching’s head) it could still have been a foul, probably a yellow card, but Ching was the one to create the dangerous situation by playing the ball while down. He should not any greater protection from the ref that a player going for a diving header at a knee-level ball if a defender kicks at it.
can someone please explain to me why this play by Leitch is dangerous.
I think its dangerous to tangle someones legs up while sticking your face out…
Clearly, the suspension and all the indignation in the comments are because Ching bleeds like a stuck pig. Reminds me of Chuck Wepner.
Can someone please ask the mls disciplinary committee why Stuart Holden received NOTHING FOR BREAKING A PLAYERS FOOT, REPUTATION OR NOT?
I agree that Leitch was reckless, but the contact looked incidental nonetheless. It’s one of those that I could see being argued successfully as warranting no suspension (due to being incidental) or a 1-game suspension (due to recklessness). Still, I am a bit surprised that the MLS went with the suspension. I couldn’t argue against it though.
I think Denton’s intentional elbow to Kamara later in the game, however, definitely deserves a 1-game suspension.
Whatever Ricardo Clark got for the karate kick to Carlos Ruiz’s shoulder is the same punishment Leitch should get.
No way that’s a three game suspension. After watching it a couple of times in slow mo, its nothing more than a couple guys getting their legs tangled up. If ching was trying to trip him, Leitch would not have been so off balance and his knee wouldn’t have gotten him.
I agree with Fulham Pete, it was unintentional, but reckless. Leitch probably could have avoided hitting Ching. Prus is one of the better refs, he apparently thought it was an accident. As others have said, we’ve seen much worse than that go unpunished.
One game. It certainly wasn’t intentional, Leitch’s right foot was caught under Ching’s bum, and he recklessly pulled the knee up to clear his foot and wham! into Ching’s left eye.
No red card, one game suspension, a private “sorry, mate” to Ching, no hard feelings.
Leitch is a parasite.
Leitch Sucks, WHAT A TOOL!
Knee to Ching’s face and and an elbow to the chest of Davis. Took out all his frustration on one play I guess. What a Douche. Should be suspended multiple matches.
all ching’s fault. should’ve stayed on the ground. he tried to get up and leitch’s knee was right there. totally accidental.
Had Leitch done this to Beckham or Blanco, MLS would have taken him out behind Buck Shaw and publicly executed him, then burned his house to the ground!
One game is fair. It was wreckless and led to an injury.
@ M. Vann.
This wasn’t a reffing call, read the article and then read my post if you’re going to call me an idiot. Reading conprehension would help you allot there.
This was a league call..the ref didn’t even give him a card because he clearly saw it as an accident.
When the league goes out of it’s way to ONLY protect CERTAIN individual then the league itself is a freaking joke and does not deserve my support.
THE LEAGUE itself is a joke in this matter. The freaking ref acctually makes a good call and the league comes from behind and pulls a stunt like this.
@ Azura, so you yourself said the game was physical and yet the ref decided to not even give out a yellow because this was an accidental play, so the LEAGUE comes in and suspends Leitch for an accidental play in a physical game. dude if that’s not mickey mouse league i don’t know what is.
Oh, and I did have season tickets to the metros and red bulls the last 3 years I lived in NJ, so don’t tell me I didn’t give MLS its fair shot, it’s not my fault that they turned the game of football into a national joke.
agreed with mastershake. this was a shitty play and deserves a suspension, but so was holden’s studs-up reckless tackle — and that result was much worse than a bloody face.
i don’t remember leitch playing like this in new york… what happened to him?
Dangerous play by Ching. This is a contact sport. No slide tackles, forwards (only) allowed to play the ball flat on their backs maybe they should make it illegal to defend.
Ching should be suspended for trying to hurt Leitch’s knee with his face.
As others have stated, how do elbows to the face go unpunished (not just in this game), but this is being reviewed. Somebody must have called in some favors.
I think it’s a dangerous play on Ching’s part, but there is no doubting that Leitch loved the opportunity to “play” the ball by running through him. San Jose ball but Leitch should have been sent off.