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MLS Notes: Morales suspended, Rimando sidelined and Leitch suffers concussion

Javier Morales 2 (ISIphotos.com) 

                                                                              Photo by ISIphotos.com

What a difference a week makes.

Last week, Javier Morales spent his Monday being honored as MLS player of the week for his performance in Real Salt Lake's 6-0 destruction of New England. This Monday, Morales spent the day being suspended by Major League Soccer for elbowing Pablo Mastroeni during Real Salt Lake's 2-0 loss to Colorado on Saturday.

Morales was not punished for the infraction during the match, but the MLS disciplinary committee decided that Morales' actions warranted a suspension. The suspension means that Real Salt Lake will be without Morales, defender Jamison Olave (red card suspension) and Nick Rimando (finger laceration) for the team's match against Los Angeles on Wednesday.

Here are some other MLS notes to get your day going:

Rimando to miss 2-3 games with finger injury

Real Salt Lake goalkeeper Nick Rimando will miss two to three matches after suffering a finger lacerationduring RSL's 2-0 loss to Colorado on Saturday. Highly-regarded back-up Chris Seitz will take Rimando's place in the lineup.

Rimando played every minute in 2008, enjoying one of his better seasons, but Seitz is considered one of the top young goalkeepers in MLS.

Real Salt Lake plays Los Angeles on Wednesday before facing first-place Chivas USA on Saturday.

Leitch sidelined with concussion

San Jose defender Chris Leitch looks unlikely to make a return trip to face his former club on Friday as he recovers from a concussion suffered during the Earthquakes loss to Chivas USA on Saturday.

Leitch, who has enjoyed a strong early season with San Jose, suffered the concussion after colliding with Jonathan Bornstein early in the second half of their match.

Leitch has not trained with the team since suffering the injury has been listed as questionable for Friday's match vs. the New York Red Bulls, the same club he helped reach last year's MLS Cup final. He has recorded three assists for San Jose this season, a career high.

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What do you think of Morales' suspension? Was it fair? Is Chris Seitz ready to live up to the hype? Will the absence of Chris Leitch matter on Friday night, or are we destined for a scoreless draw in a match-up of struggling squads?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. People forget that earlier in the game Pablo elbowed Javi in the side of the head, and nothing is being done about that.

    And that passback was the worst non call I have seen in a long time.

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  2. The piece about Morales that bothers me is that, if he had been yellow carded during the game for that elbow, he would have hit five for the season and been suspended for Wednesday’s game for accumulated cards. Because it was seen on the tape, he gets the suspension and still sits at four yellow cards – sort of a double punishment.

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  3. Very impressed with Seitz over the past weekend here in Portland. He looked real shaky in the first 15 minutes Thursday, but made some outstanding saves the rest of that game and on Saturday. I think RSL has a keep. Would be surprised to see Rimando back in goal next season.

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  4. The Carolina RailHawks couldn’t get past Seitz for 180 minutes when he was on loan with the Timbers this past week…I’m not sure how much better Los Angeles is.

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  5. It is interesting that MLS is willing to step in on some issues, but they failed to do anything about the early back pass that wasn’t called in the RSL vs. Colorado match, and did nothing about the goal that wasn’t counted against New York.

    The elbow was bad, and Olave’s red card was spot on, but last year on at least 4 occasions officals got calls wrong against RSL to the point that US Soccer used them as examples of mistakes in their review of officals and did RSL get a suspended player back? Sorry if post match reviews are going to be done for fouls, then we need a system that will suspend offical for wrong calls as well.

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  6. lol maybe I shouldnt pick my fantasy team so damn fast….oh well atleast hes suspended for us(galaxy)

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  7. Jane, you’ve stated what a lot of us are thinking. If ever someone probably needed an elbow to the grape, its Pablo.

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  8. It shouldn’t take an inujury or acting to draw a red card. Any two footed tackle from behind should be an automatic red. Just like elbows to the head should be red cards as well, you shouldn’t have to wait to be injured until a red is received.

    As a Sounder fan I didn’t disagree with the red based on what they have been showing at the USSF site. As long as they are consistant with the call then players will stop lifting their arms.

    One thing I would like to see done in the MLS and worldwide is stop the grabbing and tackling that goes on in the box on corners and free kicks. Call a few pks and the defenders will stop doing it. In just about every game from my endline seats I have seen players from both teams tackled by defenders. I guess they are being consistant in not calling it so it is fair

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  9. I was at the game on that sideline. Olave went with both feet and studs up at the knees. The fact he “might” have possibly, accidently got the ball does not negate serious foul play. I love Casey’s play but will admit he embellished the tackle. He screamed at the top of his lungs, rolled on the ground for 20 seconds and the ran to the penalty area waiting for the free kick.

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  10. That Olave tackle was scary. Some dramatization by Casey, maybe, but there’s no question that Olave went in with two feet cleats up!

    Didn’t see the elbow, though.

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  11. I swear I think some of the refs toss out red cards in the MLS for dramatic effect. It is crazy how quickly and excited some of them are to lift the red card, it seems as thought they think this is a good thing for the game.

    I also agree with the JGIB if they are going to use video to suspend, tehn they should also use use video to rescind.

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  12. Guillermo, I’m with you! Now I have to bench him. Darn!

    So MLS is looking at tape now? Thanks for the news Ives.

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  13. Absolutely the right thing to do for the suspension. It was a blatant elbow to the face that the referee missed.

    And JGIB, Olave went in with both legs, studs up, and the trailing leg hit Casey around the knee / thigh area. How the hell is that not a red card? Regardless of whether or not Casey dives (which I don’t think he does), it’s serious foul play and should always be a red card.

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  14. Absolutely terrible suspension. There are plays like this in every single game, how they determined it was his intent is beyond my comprehension.

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  15. If they are going to suspend morales by looking at the tape. olave’s red card needs to be overturned….I was at the game and have watched the replays a number of times and Olvae does hit the ball first and Casey clearly dives.

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  16. Seitz played two games on loan for Portland over the last week: two clean sheets; a good number of saves; and the write-ups make it sound like he did a good job. Hopefully that’s enough of a warm-up for him to come in and do well for the next several weeks.

    Reply

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