Photo by ISIphotos.com
Major League Soccer's disciplinary committee gave additional one-game suspensions to Chivas USA midfielder Marcelo Saragosa and Houston assistant coach John Spencer after both were sent off during their teams' games this past weekend.
Saragosa was issued an extra game to his suspension for kicking Seattle Sounders forward Fredy Montero in the face. He will now serve a two-match suspension for that incident, along with paying fines totaling $1,000.
Spencer was issued an additional game suspension after being tossed from the Dynamo's 3-2 win vs. Real Salt Lake. Spencer slammed a clipboard down on the sidelines after being ejected and failed to leave the field in an orderly manner. He was also fined a combined $1,500 for the incident.
Also, MLS announced that San Jose head coach Frank Yallop was hit with a $750 fine for confronting match officials following the Earthquakes 1-1 tie vs. Colorado, a match the Rapids tied on a late penalty.
What do you think of these punishments? Fair? Too much? Not enough?
Share your thoughts below.
Padula’s tackle wasn’t clumsy, it was intentional. He went in really late, and really hard, and wasn’t going for the ball at all.
He wanted to take Blanco down, and assumed he’d avoid a red card, and he was right.
You want to see diving, check out GBS on CJ Brown near the end of the game. Never seen such a dive. Holding his face and writhing on the ground like hed been stabbed in the eye when there was no contact at all.
Oh, and Crew fans…. nice job vandalizing Fire fan’s cars after the game. Why to show your true colors.
I second the Ching comment above. He was out of control, and that was something the officials allowed to ferment.
Olave’s foul was definitely a card – he seems to not get the benefit of the doubt, being as big and strong as he is. It’s the “call it on the bigger guy” bias.
Ching should have gotten an additional game or two for his red card cheap shot against Morales at the end of the game. Houston plays the most classless and cheap soccer that I have ever seen from any organization yet they always get away with it. Maybe because they so consistently take cheap shots, instigate fights, flop and make reckless challenges the refs let them get away with it because it is their style. However, I have thought for years that the way Houston plays the game is a disgrace to the beautiful game of soccer.
They get their win off a terrible red card and then Ching, predictably, goes and takes a cheap shot trying to injure RSL’s best player. At what point is MLS going to take a stand. It wasn’t the most malicious tackle ever but his only intend was to injure a guy. In my opinion, there is just no room for that in the game of soccer. Morales didn’t even have the ball.
SO why is it that the MLS does not have the balls to suspend Beckham for his clear chokehold on a FC Dallas player a couple of weeks ago. It was all over the Internet on video and photos. Any contact above the shoulders is supposed to be a point of emphasis in MLS this season and refs are supposed to issue red cards for intentional contact above the shoulders.
Why no suspension for goldenballs?????
The only reason why I didn’t respond similarly to advocat is I was hoping he might have been sarcastic.
Advocat you are a dumb ass. If a player gets a red he is suspended. Period. If you want Beckham on the field tell him not to commit a red card foul. He came in over the ball. Easy call. Plus…if you are buying tickets just to see Beckham you are a disgrace. He isn’t a player you pay to see. He jogs around the sideline and drifts to the middle a little and puts in some crosses. Pay to see someone like Messi or Ronaldinho in years past…I get that. But crap…I can bend the ball pretty damn good and am quite accurate. Come pay me and you can watch me do the same thing. I will only charge you half.
Padula should have seen the red card. it was deliberate and very nasty. Yes, Blanco must be protected; the league has spent millions on him, he brings in millions for the league, and SELLS tickets! But Schelotto also must be protected; he was barely touched during the fire game. Without these two players I wouldnt call the fire -crew match a soccer game. More like bad wrestling.
Becks should never be suspended. Even after a red card (which should be rescinded). The soccer PAYING public comes out to see Becks; not most of the hacks in the MLS. I spent several THOUSAND dollars to buy many tix for my friends. Ridiculously, Becks was suspended for the game. did I get my money refunded? Nope. Every MLS game is an exhibition game to my mind. Moreno is one of the top players in this league and that has come with a lot of physical abuse. This is sadly the major problem in the MLS> protect the 5 class players in this league and then we will get a few worldclass players to come here.
People are just bitter…
The Crew is finally getting some questionable calls going their way and everybody seems upset about it. Get over it.
Padula’s tackle was clumsy but never a red card. Why should he get sent off for that, because the league needs to protect its DPs? Blanco like most players south of the US like to exaggerate but that shouldn’t impact the ref’s decision.
Yeah, Fredy got clocked in the face and Saragosa deserved a red but (I don’t know where to introduce myself as a long time reader but 1st time answerer)….I just got through watching Confed Cup hi-lites and I still get goose bumps over the finish the NATS got there…do you got any hope (SBI)that the challenge that awaits when (if) they make it to SA2010 can duplicate the CC?
Ives, any video of this one? I saw it but I can’t quite remember it.
Posted by: Isaac | September 22, 2009 at 07:46 PM
Here go to 2:12:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-I8ag1Fn4g
btw I hate how Montero is getting kicked, stepped on… and even worse, peeps here are hating on him for it. why the hate? what did Montero do? I can see hate against Beckham, but Montero? plz. it’s his rookie year. must be jealousy
Houston is the most physical team in the MLS. they get away with nearly everything. yallop should thank the league for all the breaks his team is given. You could easily give 5 yellow cards to Houston before any game.
Posted by: chelski002 | September 22, 2009 at 08:31 PM
a. Yallop is not the Houston coach. We have a real coach. His name is Dom Kinnear.
b. Physical does not equal fouling. We have a lot of strong, smart players that don’t have to use dirty tricks like throwing elbows to get headers.
Players and coaches are even more sensitive.
Just for once, I’d like to see a ref throw some kung fu on a coach or player who gets in his face.
The more coaches who get sent off the better …
FDV, no one wants to suspend him for diving. We’d rather he be suspended for purposely roundhousing Conde in the back of the head on the PK call. Any sane person that watched that game and saw the PK call should have seen that.
What the hell? Why hasn’t Beckham been suspended for his choke on the FCD player???? Is MLS so weak and lame they won’t punish Goldenballs??
@John
Montero deserves it huh? Every game? Whatever. Plenty of people get what they deserve, plenty of people get what they don’t deserve. I’m sure you don’t deserve that reach-around you get from your boyfriend every night, but that doesn’t stop it from happening. So you never know.
Saragosa: I suppose that’s fine but dont act like Montero a. doesnt deserve it every game and b. fell down like he got hit by a train.
Posted by: john | September 22, 2009 at 08:18 PM
Or he fell like he got dropped kicked. You might want to check the replay before assuming embellishment.
What was the terrible decision in the Houston – RSL game? I missed that one.
Also, the PK for Colorado was absolutely the right call.
Houston is the most physical team in the MLS. they get away with nearly everything. yallop should thank the league for all the breaks his team is given. You could easily give 5 yellow cards to Houston before any game.
Saragosa: I suppose that’s fine but dont act like Montero a. doesnt deserve it every game and b. fell down like he got hit by a train.
Yallop and Spencer: wtf? Both were protesting TERRIBLE ref decisions. Why does MLS stick up for these awful USSF refs? It’s ridiculous.
Now what about Becks and LD?? They better be suspended as well, yet MLS will probably not do a thing.
They should suspend Osorio for life for being incompetent.
Posted by: Smith
that is the post of the year, right there. I almost fell out of my seat.
FDV, for all the good players Columbus has, Padulla is a hack and a red card waiting to happen almost any game. The guy commits so many cheap shots it’s unbelievable so don’t look for pity for a guy who loves to inflict pain. Regardless of what happened in Columbus, he deserved a straight red for the one in Chicago this weekend.
I love the referee reprimands/suspensions for poor performances also… oh wait…
People love to kick Fredy
Posted by: Scott A | September 22, 2009 at 07:30 PM
Second most wacked pinata in the league next to Blanco.
Ives, any video of this one? I saw it but I can’t quite remember it.
Hey Chicago fans, if you want to fine Lenhart for diving, then to be fair, you also need to fine Blanco for the dive that got Padula red carded and McJudas for the flop against Chivas earlier this year that resulted in the game winning pk. I know the ref that blanco bought it banned from the league now but it isn’t enough.
They should suspend the referee at the Quakes game. He’s a disgrace to soccer. Not a PK.
Yallop is a great coach!!
LOl Refs are sensitive. They run and cry to Garber that the mean coaches yelled at them. I guess refs are just bitter in the first place because they couldn’t cut it themselves. Seriously though, how insecure of a person do you have to be to eject someone for confronting you? I hate Houston and I still think its crap.
People love to kick Fredy
Thumbs up on the Saragosa suspension.
They should suspend Osorio for life for being incompetent.
What, no referee suspensions? Weak Sauce.
What about Lenhart for Columbus? Not only was it not a penalty against Chicago but come on it was a foul on Napoleon.