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Galaxy head coach Arena suspended for SuperClasico

Bruce Arena

Photo by ISIPhotos.com

By DAN KARELL

When the Los Angeles Galaxy face their in-stadium rivals Chivas USA on Sunday, they’ll have to do so without their head coach Bruce Arena.

The Major League Soccer Disciplinary Committee handed down a one-game suspension on Friday to Arena for leaving his technical area during the Galaxy’s 1-0 defeat to the Portland Timbers last Saturday. Per league policy, any manager who leaves their area during play is automatically handed a one-game ban. In Arena’s place, assistant coach Dave Sarachan is expected to take charge of the team.

Arena left his technical area while arguing an offside call made by near side assistant referee Eric Boria that overturned what originally looked to be the game-tying goal in stoppage time. Landon Donovan sent in a free kick from the right side of the box that teammate Robbie Keane headed in for a goal, but it was disallowed because Keane was ahead of the last defender.

What do you think of this news? Do you agree with the length of the suspension? Did you agree with the offside call?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. ” Landon Donovan sent in a free kick from the right side of the box that teammate Robbie Keane headed in for a goal, but it was disallowed because Keane was ahead of the last defender.”

    Why confuse the picture here. Keane did not head the ball in for a goal. He was offside so the goal was not allowed. It was clearly the correct call (for as much as I complain about MLS officials, they got this one right).

    He did head the ball into the goal, which is different than “for a goal”.

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  2. No question, Keane was off-side. He should have gotten a yellow. Bruce Arena was out of line leaving his area. The Portland Timbers win was deserved.

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    • I agree with every statement in this post except, “The Portland win was deserved.” Portland achieved a result while being outplayed on their own turf. All credit to them, but “deserved” is not a soccer term generally applied to what happened in Portland.

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    • If you have to serve a suspension this would be the game to do it. If the Galaxy actually need Arena for this game they have got bigger problems than this

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  3. Keane was clearly offside – kudos the the assistant referee for a gutsy call and to the referee for backing him up. I think Keane should have gotten a yellow for dissent — not for the first 45 seconds of yelling at the AR but for going back to him after disengaging — and, absent a yellow during the game, a suspension by the disciplinary committee. Keane evidently fell into the “superstar exclusion” to the dissent rule, and MLS should have punished that.

    RCTID

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    • He was wearing the captian’s arm band, so that gives him a little more leeway. And really, while it was the right call, it was not obvious to anyone but the linesman. COnsidering the stakes and the moment in the game, I think you have to let some things slide.

      … Which is not to say that Keane doesn’t get a pass a lot of the time.

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      • What are you suggesting be let slide? The offside or Keane and Arena’s nationally televised obscenity laced verbal abuse of officials?

        I suspect you mean the later. That said, if MLS wants every controversial call at the end of games to be met with long and completely inappropriate derision of the officials every single time then they need to keep letting things like this “slide”. Otherwise it is a yellow.

        The DC only hands out fines and suspensions, they can’t hand out yellow cards after the fact. I don’t think Keane deserved a Red (so not a suspension worthy issue) but they should have fined him.

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