By AVI CREDITOR
Major League Soccer fined and suspended Chivas USA midfielder Michael Lahoud and D.C. United coach Curt Onalfo for their actions in last week's games.
Lahoud nailed Chicago's Justin Mapp in the ankle with a studs-up challenge and has been fined $500 and suspended for the Goats' next two matches.
Although Lahoud didn't receive a card at the time, U.S. Soccer Director of Referee Development Paul Tamberino told MLSSoccer.com that the player should have seen red.
Lahoud, in his second year in the league, will miss Chivas' games this week against New England and Houston.
Onalfo was fined $1,000 and suspended for two U.S. Open Cup matches after being sent off in United's Open Cup victory over FC Dallas last Wednesday.
He exited in the 32nd minute after arguing a foul call with referee Chris Penso, and he will be forced to miss United's qualifying-round game with Real Salt Lake on June 2 that has a spot in the tournament's Round of 16 on the line. Should United advance, he would have to sit out the following game as well.
LEAGUE, PLAYERS RATIFY CBA
The new collective bargaining agreement has been ratified, after the owners and players voted to approve the new contract.
The CBA, which was agreed to on March 20, was approved by 84 percent of the players, and is in place for the next five years.
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Think the punishments for Lahoud and/or Onalfo were too harsh? Not harsh enough?
Share your thoughts below.
I’ve seen much worse not called. I saw the game and play from multiple replays and woudl say it was a yellow as well.
Still, I’m glad that the MLS is stepping in and overturning referee’s decisions…might make the ref’s stand up and take notice…or it might make them gun shy to call anything reasoning that ‘the league office will take care of it’.
woo-hoo
5 more years!
Did you see the tackle?
The ref should be fined and suspended.
I thought I read, Onalfo was fired. Then I put my glasses on and thought…oh…bummer.
Then I read the reason why and thought – why argue with the referee – at that level – really?
Richie Williams
How can someone who has hardly played for the last two years have developed a reputation for diving?
Mapp has been looking pretty decent this season, and as a Fire fan I was pretty happy about this. Lahoud. Not a fan.
hahahahaha! ya man me too! i read through the entire article and was like “so why is he fired”
To all DC supporters: Why couldn’t DC hire the coach you think they should have? Onalfo certainly wasn’t their first choice. Who do you think it should have been?
This logic is astounding.
Yeah, and no one wants to play for an inept coach and an unwilling FO. DCU could have put up some early points this season, but now its obvious there really is no belief in the current system and they’re just throwing matches away.
MApp is a notorious diver. Lahoud deserved a yellow card but not the suspension. He has no reputation as a dirty player.
At first glance I thought it said “Onalfo Fired”. I was about to rejoice!
Middle? That’s deceiving on us. We defiantly should have a win with the team we have but make no mistake, this team is one of the worst we have put together. And we still have something like $600,000 in salary funds sitting around.
You could say Onalfo getting red carded in the 32nd minute was a brave act of defending his players — but in reality he’s a moronic coach who is completely out of his depth and needs to go…yesterday.
While i think it is a bad choice for coach, I don’t think the front office with player acquisition did them any favors.
They have failed in the past few years bringing in players and it seems they just sat back this off season.
I think its a bad combo of front office & head coach, sad for such a fun team/atmosphere.
no i dont think it was too harsh, but i expect them to win, without onalfo. that guys is a sorry excuse for a coach. he needs to be fired(3) games ago. he doesnt know what he is doing, and is bringing down on of the greatest clubs in MLS.
How many games will it take for Onalfo to get fired? That team should be in the middle of the league standings with the talent they have on that squad.