By DAN KARELL
The first 64 minutes of the 2013 New York Red Bulls playoff campaign were going about as well as they could have hoped.
They held a 2-1 lead on the road against the Houston Dynamo, and though Mike Petke’s side had conceded early in the second half and were on the back foot, they were repelling the Dynamo’s subsequent attack and still in the game.
Then, in the 65th minute, Ricardo Salazar reached for his back pocket and pulled out a red card, pointing it to Red Bulls defender Jamison Olave after a reckless tackle near midfield on Dynamo substitute Omar Cummings. The decision left the Red Bulls down to 10 men and likely contributed to the Dynamo’s eventual comeback with the 2-2 draw.
The red card was a lightning rod for criticism, with many saying that it was a deserved straight red and others saying that it was no more than a yellow card.
Regardless of the severity of the crime, the Red Bulls will now have to play the second leg of their Eastern Conference semifinals series with the Dynamo without their best defender. It’s a decision that, if the Red Bulls do fall at home on Wednesday, Red Bull fans will look back and point to when remembering the 2013 season, one that saw the team win their first ever Supporters’ Shield.
So with all that in mind, what did you think of the red card decision?
Cast your vote below.
How did you vote? Think it’s silly to even have this discussion? See the tackle as having been worth just a yellow card?
Share your thoughts below.