photo by Jennifer Buchanan/USA Today Sports
By FRANCO PANIZO
Clint Dempsey received the first, and potentially most significant part, of his punishment for ripping up a referee’s notebook and it wound up being much less than it could have been.
MLS announced on Friday afternoon that is has suspended Dempsey three games and fined him an undisclosed amount for his conduct towards a match official in this past Tuesday’s U.S. Open Cup loss to the Portland Timbers. The incident happened outside of league action, but MLS said it had jurisdiction to penalize Dempsey because rules require the league to adjudicate and discipline any actions by an MLS player towards a referee.
The 32-year-old Dempsey will miss Seattle’s upcoming games vs. the San Jose Earthquakes, Philadelphia Union, and Portland Timbers. He could receive additional punishment from the Sounders as well as U.S. Soccer, which will hold a hearing next week to review the incident, but any punishment levied by U.S. Soccer would be limited to the U.S. Open Cup.
The length of the suspension means Dempsey will not miss any part of next month’s CONCACAF Gold Cup.
“We do not tolerate conduct of this nature from any of our players,” MLS Deputy Commissioner Mark Abbott said in a statement. “No matter how passionate our players are or what happens in the ‘heat of the moment,’ they must always respect all aspects of the game, especially the referees. In light of Clint’s actions and our past precedents, we felt that a significant suspension was appropriate.”
Dempsey was in jeopardy of missing U.S. Men’s National Team matches, but the MLS decision to give him three matches rather than six or more matches kept that from happening.
Dempsey was sent off in the defeat to the rival Timbers on Tuesday after grabbing a notebook out of the referee’s front pocket and ripping it up.
What do you think of MLS’s three-game suspension on Dempsey? How much will the Sounders miss him during this upcoming stretch? Expecting U.S. Soccer to issue him a ban as well?
Share your thoughts below.
One needs to look at a certain pundit’s campaign to give Dempsey a massive three month suspension with a critical eye. In the very same rule book he cites for ‘assault’, grabbing a referee is included as an assault, and is much more personal than grabbing his notebook. Yet if you search his blogs you’ll find no such campaign for maximum penalties for grabbing referees. Could it be that a side he prefers is notorious for grabbing refs?
Dempsey’s suspension can’t be too long as far as I am concerned.
Refereeing in the US is a disgrace (and for all I know the ref in this game may have been terrible) but almost the worst aspects of US refereeing is the reluctance to give cards for dangerous tackles and such and a similar reluctance to clamp down on dissent. Players in MLS are allowed petulant outbursts that no player in England, anyway, would get away with.
What Dempsey did was a disgrace. I can’t speak for all coaches but if any player of mine did that he would be looking for a different team. Banning Dempsey for the rest of the season would be okay with me particularly if it were accompanied by some sign from USSF and MLS that they now understood that such dissent has no place in the game.
Stanford>UCLA
When he reached into the refs pocket he invaded the refs “space”. This is assault, no other way to catagorize it. He crossed the line from words to deeds and invasion of the person.
If the punishment is not severe we will see the problem trickle down the leagues to even the youth level and it will not be pretty.
3 game is not enough. I hope JK suspends him from the entire Gold Cup to make that point very clear. I believe JK will do it. You heard it here first and you phone will not be the first to tell you when it happens.
On the USMNT captaincy I agree completely that MB should get it. He’s matured into a very level headed player and has been JK’s second choice captain for a while. Also the engine of the team. There is however a lot of whispers from media types that him and JK don’t get along. Any proof of this? Atleast from a playing and captain perspective JK seems to trust MB completely. Is it true they don’t like each other and are just both being pros and not letting it get in the way? Any proof of this?
Where specifically have you heard there’s an issue between MB and JK?
When you say media types are you referring to someone specifically… Where did you hear this… or is it someone trying to create a controversy or narrative….
I’ve never seen any hint of any issues
That poster “Sepp” who shows up from time to time and alludes to his former role in the USMNT setup made some claims to this effect the other day during one of his typically cryptic bouts of name-dropping.. Whatever. Sepp has some pretty good insights usually I think but purporting to know how two people you worked with as an assistant a bunch of years ago currently feel about each other is a little silly, to me. And really, who cares? I have plenty of people I’ve worked with that I didn’t particularly love, but the functionality and results were there, and I’d do it again. Robert Horry had a similar comment about Phil Jackson the other day. That’s what work is. And why so many groups of “buddies” fail as management teams. As long as nobody is doing a John Harkes and sleeping with the other guys’ gf’s it also seems like a pretty normal work environment to me.
I would speculate the reluctance to turn over the armband to MB has a lot more to do with the potential impact on Dempsey’s engagement than any problem with MB’s qualifications. Dempsey is a proud guy, and stripping the armband might give him the idea that he is now being “phased out” a la LD and Boca, which I am sure is not the outcome he wanted. In the extreme case, he might even decide to step down entirely from int’l duty.
I think Deuce still has value, and I really don’t think it’s prudent to risk this disruption to chemistry over an armband. In the end, this was classic Deuce. He loses his head at refs, starts petty issues, and plays emotionally. To strip him of the armband over this would beg the question why we gave it to him in the first place. And his disciplinary with the USMNT has always been solid, so the whole suggestion seems a little to “England” for me, where they bring up the appropriateness of the captain’s selection of meat pies to the point people think it means is the entire embodiment of the national identity (though it might make a nice upgrade over the royal family).
MB would make a great captain. I hope he gets his well-deserved turn. But I think using this is an excuse is a politically risky gambit with way more downside than benefit.
I don’t see Jurgen doing it now either.
Maybe, but that would indicate he cares more about what other folks think than he’s shown so far.
Personally, I think Deuce has a very good chance of becoming the USMNT’s version of Miroslav Klose, as long as he stays healthy. He’s never been fast and his ability to make his own shot with deft touches and slick moves and then finish has always been his best asset, and those are things that don’t degrade with age. I can certainly see him becoming more of a super-sub and “spot” guy but unless he just hits a wall physically I don’t see him getting dropped anytime soon.
Plus, to be honest, Klinsmann has always kind of liked “nasty” players, guys with that chip on their shoulder who don’t back down from anybody, and Deuce has a chip you can’t knock off with a hammer. As long as Deuce doesn’t bow up at Klinsmann or pull that stuff in a USMNT shirt I don’t think JK will really that much care.
Could be wrong, but I think JK will do exactly nothing.
According to the handbook, obstruction of an official’s notepad is a 3 month ban. It gets tricky because the US Open Cup isn’t a professional tournament since semi pro teams and people who don’t even get paid participate in it. Because of that, I believe the FA can decide however long they want to ban him.
Don’t argue about this gang, there are worse things players have done that have way less punishments. Look at Vidal.
What Vidal did was off the field. I’m sure you meant to say Hope Solo.
What Solo did was off the field. I’m sure you meant to say Neymar.
Touche. I have seldom seen Solo tanked while playing soccer. Perhaps so, but if so, she plays very well while drunk.
quozzel,
If Solo was drunk while on the field in a game how exactly would you know while watching from the stands or on the TV?
I was uhm…making a joke.
She’s had (at least) two noteworthy off-the-field incidences that indicate her judgment while sauced is not the best, that deal with her family party and that joyride her and the hubby had with the team van.
On the field, her play’s always been great. Brilliant, even.
All I was saying.
The language I saw was not specific like that, nor could it be. What it says is damage to property, equipment, car. It also mentions physical acts like hitting, spitting, etc. as falling under the term of assault. As someone who has both written and administered laws, it seems clear to me that when you put it in context, when they talk about damage, they are referring to serious actions like slashing a cars tires, putting a key to its paint job, ripping the ref’s uniform, or damaging other important equipment. Under your interpretation, if Dempsey had pulled a Kleenex out of the ref’s pocket and torn it up, he would also be liable for a major punishment, which is totally unreasonable and not in the obvious intent of the rule.
Has Clint said anything since this? Apologized for his actions?
A few years back, MLS players who were suspended for red cards were being called up to the national team and serving their suspensions in a USMNT shirt. So the ruels for callups were changed that any MLS player who is suspended is not eligible to play for the nats during that suspension. That is where the 6 game / Gold Cup comment is coming from.
Not quite. Players can do national duty, but those missed games don’t count towards their suspension. (If you get a red card on Saturday, then join the nats, you serve your suspension when you come back)
Have they announced what the ref’s punishment will be? What about the guy that scheduled the numpty for what would obviously be a high intensity game?
I actually think the ref did a decent job. Azira came in studs up.
Agreed. Hate to say it but the ref got all this pretty much right. Dempsey and the Sounders were probably gambling that the ref wouldn’t have the stones to stand up to them. Wrong.
Well seeing as how this is an MLS punishment I fail to see how the USSF has failed to send a message. Last I checked US Soccer is still reviewing this and chances are they too will levy a punishment as well. I just hope it fits the crime, as this has. He is missing 3 games and being fine as well – possibly by both the league and his club (not counting what US Soccer will do as well). Yeah, he’s a top guy and can probably afford it, but I am not sure many other’s in the league can so while this does not meet the death penalty level pain most are advocating this is no walk in the park either.
Plus this is not over yet. US Soccer still has their say and he could also lose the Captaincy of the team. None of this is as light as many are making it out to be.
USSF left this to MLS, as they could in the rules, because such a suspension from them would appear biased due to the Gold Cup. This is the last from US Soccer but there could still be repercussions on the USOC side.
I’m a USMNT and Clint Dempsey fan… but I’m also a referee. I think this sets a terrible (possibly dangerous) precedent and example for other players going forward. Sadly, I think the USSF is using the gray area/ambiguity of this situation (Does it fall under leaugue or USSF jurisdiction?, etc) to create a loophole to their own bylaws in order to keep Clint eligible for the Gold Cup. I continually see younger and younger players pushing the limits further and further with referees. Now how are they going to justify following their bylaws all of a sudden in the next situation that meets the criteria? This was the perfect opportunity for the USSF to send the message loud and clear to players at all levels that there would be zero tolerance for any kind of abuse of referees, and quite frankly, they blew it.
I understand your point of view. Being a ref is tough and thankless.
That said, there are ENTIRELY too many refs who do not seem to understand that their job is to facilitate good play and clean play – and that’s it. I see refs ALL THE TIME – even at highest levels – who cannot seem to help insinuating themselves into the match and making themselves the most important person on the field. And they really do ruin the credibility – and undermine the authority – of the rest of you.
As they say, you know you’ve got a good ref when he was almost invisible…especially during a big match. There’s this almost invisible surface tension a good ref projects, alert, impassive, fair-minded, takes nothing personal…whereas the bad kind sort of square up and confront where they need to diffuse. And the latter kind make games unplayable. And that’s when tempers flare and matches get out of control.
Card-happy refs who have a higher ratio of red cards than matches officiated are guys who really do not need to be refs…because it means that these referee decisions have largely decided the outcome of matches. And this guy had something like a 5-to-1 ratio of yellows to matches officiated…which means this ref isn’t just card-happy, he’s completely taken over every match he’s been a part of.
Dempsey deserved a suspension. But this guy clearly should not be a ref, either.
Refs are very much like cops. Good cops just have a way of taking the crazy out of everything. Bad ones pour gasoline on the fire. It’s not hard to tell the difference; just look at the amount of crazy that happened on their watch.
This was a big missed opportunity for MLS and US Soccer in general. A 3 game suspension for what he did? If I was the referee in this match I would be livid…. 3 games is nothing and will do NOTHING to stop this type of behavior from happening again.
Judging by the fact that there were 4K people at this match between 2 bitter rivals, I don’t think an additional lengthy US Open Cup suspension means anything, either.
I would have just suspended him from USOC games, but this punishment seems about right to me. I agree that MB should get the national team captaincy..
Why do you think Mikey should be the Captain?
Per (my reading of) the USSF Policy Manual: assault (ref’s property) —> 6 games
I agree with 3 games for Dempsey, but as a Sounders fan, I keep coming back to Frei’s PK call and subsequent freak out against SKC a couple weeks ago. While watching it live, I thought he gave the ref a little physical bump. If I’m a ref, sure having your notebook stolen and torn up is more embarrassing and definitely disrespectful, but having a full grown man going agro in your face is a lot more physically intimidating and should be just as intolerable. I’m sure you can point to multiple other similar situations across MLS this year. MLS should be more consistent with punishments for confrontations.
Seems fair. US Open Cup will give him the biggest suspension, I would guess probably all of 2016.
Seattle will definitely miss him over these next 3 games. However, luckily we’re playing 2 pretty weak teams in SJ & PHI. Also, anything can happen in SEAvPOR matches … so expect a Darwin Jones hat-trick in that one.
I’ve vacillated on this, but I just didn’t see it as a DEFCON 5 “referee assault”…couple of MLS games, perhaps a year or two ban from the USOC, and maybe a group stage game or two in the Gold Cup would suffice.
More importantly though, I think Klinsmann needs to give MB90 the armband permanently.
From the outside, I’ve always thought MB90 was an obvious captain. But that is from what we see on the field. I’ve always wondered what the captain does off the field, and what Dempsey does in that role.
The penalty as stated in the bylaw is clear on what the penalty is to be. There is no sliding scale for penalty based on degree of referee abuse. Clint clearly met the criteria as defined in the bylaw. Complete fail by the powers that be.
Next three games for Sounders, no Dempsey or Martins. They could use Jordan Morris right about now. Morris is doing the right thing though, you don’t willingly give up the college life before you have to. College is the best time of your life, or at least it should have been if you were doing it right.
Like spending the last month or two of the school year on international duty….;)
If college was the best time of your life, you have not been doing the rest of your adult life right.
JJ, trust me I have. Good job, done lots of traveling, keep great company, have had lots of great experiences, but it doesn’t matter because you can’t really compare the two. College life isn’t real life, it is an illusion. Being an adult in the “real-world” is full of responsibilities and limitations. I could write you a long essay right now on why the “college-life” is the best but I wont. Probably the only advantage of life after college is that I have more money than I did in college, but its funny how money seemed to matter less while in college.
Here is the checklist:
1. Went to a major and prestigious university, with large student body.
2. Said university has a large population of students that live on-campus and/or around the university, and YOU were one of them. Not a commuter student.
3. Said university is in a college town or something similar to that.
4. Said university has all the top level division 1 athletics and competes at a top level.
5. You studied-abroad for a portion of your time in college.
6. You did not have to work FULL-TIME during college, only part-time if at all.
7. You are someone with self-confidence and are outgoing. Not the wallflower type.
8. You weren’t married and you didn’t have children during college.
If your college experience didn’t include all of those things on the list then you don’t know what I am talking about.
*disclaimer* I have not had children yet.
Did this comment really just happen?
Wow. This is kind of embarrassing, especially as a ucla alum.
Troll comment. I’m not embarrassed. Explain why it is embarrassing?
I am simply making the case for why Morris probably hasn’t left Stanford yet, along with giving JJ a response to his comment.
I usually disagree with UCLA 99% of the time, but my college experience would read like a similar novel (as I’m sure UCLA gave an abbreviated version)…. and I agree with him big time. I wish I was still there many years later…and if you didn’t have that type of college experience, then he’s correct.. you probably don’t know what he’s talking about… To quote Guido the killer pimp, “Time of your life, huh kid..”
+1 We are like SBI best-friends now.
would have been a lot better had you went to a REAL school like USC…
University of South-Central Los Angeles?? and still have to pay more than I did at UCLA?? No thank you. 😉
Actually Davis, if you were one of those rich/spoiled kids at USC who got in because of daddy’s money, then yes I might have enjoyed hanging out with you at USC, assuming that you would have shared the wealth with me.
I openly concede that I peaked in college — possibly even high school. Jordan Morris may peak considerably later, but going back to college is just not the same as going through with your group. Strip out the experience and it’s just a degree. And looking at the list of “high profile Stanford alums” I don’t get the sense that “failing to complete your degree” counts as much of an infraction (though I’m sure he’d like to get within striking distance in case of a total career reboot).
I think it’s great that Morris has elected to make the most of his opportunity. Really, I think the case that his development will be permanently stunted has been overstated. The list of USMNT players who went to college (for at least some period) and had lengthy and successful careers in international soccer is probably longer than the list of those who didn’t.
Actually, you could probably make a better case that the primary impact of this “detour” from the European model is that our players peak later, but they also have more sustained peaks and longer careers.
It’s not for everyone. Some guys should jump at the chance to move to a European academy (or similar) as soon as they are fortunate enough to get a suitable invitation.
Culturally, our NT setup (under every manager we’ve had) has always been highly tolerant of “late bloomers”. And I think we’ve seen some great returns out of this. Europe hustles the top talent into the senior market for reasons that really don’t have much to do with development science or career performance optimization. The economic considerations of clubs who develop the players drive the whole process far too heavily. The assessment of the player’s potential that takes place when he exits the academy creates an absurd expectation that really benefits nobody but follows the player for many years, often for the entirety of his career.
More than anything, I want to see that we forever avoid the riduclous sorts of moves that Jozy and Agudelo made, simply because of the word “Europe”. Villareal and Stoke did considerably less to advance the development of those guys than college, MLS, the Peace Corps, or Hamburger U would have.
Diego,
“Culturally, our NT setup (under every manager we’ve had) has always been highly tolerant of “late bloomers”
That’s an interesting way of saying the US has always been short of talent, young, old or middle aged.
But not to worry, JK played in a World Cup at the age of 33-34 and scored three goals and he often talks about he did not get capped until he was 24.
I doubt he has an issue with “older” players as long as they can play.
It’s situational and depends on one’s life goals. Probably 90% of college athletes who have a chance to turn pro before their eligibility is up will do so if they think they have any chance of making a pro team.
You are correct Gary, except you left-out one factor: the social-class of the individual.
If recent history has shown us anything, it is that students/players from poor families go pro the first chance they get, but students/players from wealthy families are more willing to stay in school and finish their eligibility. Morris comes from a wealthy family.
Even less reason for him to stay in school. He can always go back later particularly if his family is wealthy.
Gary Page,
“Probably 90% of college athletes who have a chance to turn pro before their eligibility is up will do so”
It should be obvious to everyone that Morris is not in that 90%.
Like Landon, he is very obviously an exceptional case and should not been seen as the norm.
Ludicrous. Morris is wasting his time playing at an extraordinaily low level and if he were serious about his soccer career, he’d have turned pro ages ago. The next two years will be a complete waste development wise. College is great but so is life as a professional footballer. A serious player would be playing professionally at this stage.
Really Slow? Lets be real here, is Jordan Morris wasting his time, or is he “wasting the time” of U.S. soccer fans? The correct answer to that question is not Jordan Morris.
Morris has a sweet deal right now. He is working towards his degree at one of the top universities in the world, he is having the time of his life, and he is playing soccer and working on his craft at both the collegiate-level and the international-level. Somebody please explain to me how he is “wasting his time”?
Fans that are desperate for USMNT success will just have to be patient. Morris will go pro when he wants to go pro. The fact that he hasn’t chosen to do so backs up my theory that the college-life is something he is not yet willing to give up. Sure you can always come back to college years later but it won’t be the same. His professional soccer career isn’t going anywhere, it is sitting there waiting for him.
Totally agree with UCLA. Jordan only needs to make decisions in regards to what is best for him personally. I would say that his decision to go to Stanford has worked out great. Of course, maybe it was just sheer luck that the USMNT held their pre World Cup camp at Stanford and he caught the eye of JK. Would the same have happened if he were at the Sounders Academy? Would he be on the Sounders senior team now or stuck on the U-23 roster? Even if he were on the senior team, would he being seeing minutes? With his USMNT call ups and success, he can easily command more money now than the Homegrown offer that he turned down. Who knows, maybe he has now played himself into a nice European contract. By not taking that Homegrown offer, he has actually given himself lots of options.
I also have to ask for some more truly compelling proof that spending a few years in college is actually hindering or limiting his potential career as an international soccer player. Why is it that when I look at the list of USMNT players who played internationally in the last couple of decades, it seems that the list of long-term “success stories” is so heavily weighted towards the guys who spent at some time at college, while the list of flameouts seems more heavily weighted toward the direct-to-pro group? When adaptability is so frequently cited is a primary factor in determining the success of a transferred player, it’s hard not to think our guys have gotten some differentiating value in this regard. Intelligent people find ways to find competitive advantages in their trips off the beaten path.
Certainly, I agree it will change the shape of JM’s career. He will be a little behind his peers when he goes pro (honestly, many of his eventual peer group are still playing reserve matches at this point, which is decent training but nothing Jordan should feel to bad about “falling behind” over). His intelligence should help him close this gap faster than many.
As a USMNT fan, I am much more concerned with the duration and quality of his career than how quickly he becomes a first-class starter, which really only matters if you care about his career valuation and sale value potential. If anything, Morris may be a bargain for somebody who has been paying attention and tracking him.
Sure, he’ll be risky and greener than his peers at first, but I refuse to believe this limits what he could become. There is an endless list of soccer players and other athletes who took time to hit their potential after jumping to the top level.
It’s a small sample in soccer, obviously. 98% of top-level pro soccer players globally never once considered college and still haven’t. I’m not sure what the benefit is to this standard, beyond ruining whatever career prospects the large number of washouts might have been left with. These years are not typically productive compared to their prior academy training, or their forthcoming senior careers. The increasingly well-stuudied risks to the guys who actually do get big minutes can be hugely costly to their career (see Michael Owen), and everybody else is left wondering what plans (if any) the club really has for them. Is this really better for the decent (but not elite) prospect than spending a few years playing a lower level or forgettable soccer, but building out their experience and character in ways many never have (or will).
We may never know with soccer. But I’ve watched enough other American sports with college-feeder structures to know that a guy can certainly become an elite performer starting at 22, in spite of persisting at a lower level longer than the “one-and-done” types who go pro at 19 and never realize their potential.
Whatever our guys do, I don’t want them moving to Europe without a clear idea of what their career path is (or if there even is one, beyond financial speculation). European teams don’t hustle their academy products into the senior market because it’s scientifically optimal, performance maximizing, or conducive to their development and career prospects. They do it out of pure economic self-interest. To recoup their development cost, and maximize sale costs and roster valuations. They don’t care about the USMNT. They don’t care about the player’s health. Heck, they don’t really care about the club outside of the 2 years they are likely to be there. They will run the youngsters capable of contributing into the ground and kick the rest to the reserves, where they will gather dust indefinitely
I am confused here. The article says, “any punishment levied by U.S. Soccer would be limited to the U.S. Open Cup”, so how is it then that Dempsey was in danger of missing Gold Cup games?
I am assuming that MLS can only suspend you for MLS games, or can they also suspend you for USMNT games? If they can, that seems strange to me.
I read in another article that he wouldn’t be allowed to participate in any competition until his suspension was served…so if the suspension had been longer and dragged on into the Gold Cup, he likely would have missed at least the beginning.
I’m a bit confused as well though because when this first happened multiple news outlets were discussing it as if US Soccer had the right to ban him from national team activities outright.
An MLS suspension doesn’t affect eligibility for national team games. Any article suggesting so is wrong
Well it seems this article, among others, are confusing,
But Grant Wahl stated it in much simpler terms on TV the other night.
He said Ref Abuse carried 3 games
He said Ref assault carried 6 games minimum
The 3 months minimum rule applies to amateurs, which Dempsey isn’t, but it being the Open Cup blurred the lines.
So he summed up, this was most likely abuse, not assault, and this 3 months narrative was really never valid.
So far, what he said is exactly what’s happened so far-3 games plus a fine.
I think Craig Burley should be in charge of all US Soccer announcing and analysis
Thanks for that. One last question though, so Dempsey was never really in danger of missing Gold Cup games then right? Even if he had gotten the 6-game MLS suspension?
I didn’t think so, that’s really the only thing he seemed ambiguous about. Based on what he said about everything up to that point, as long as it was abuse not assault, he wouldn’t miss the cup. Then he said he could miss it, but wasn’t specific on why… whether it would be USSF or JK… He didn’t say..
My assumption is he didn’t say definitively because I guess technically JK could do whatever he wants??
Just like the MLS rules…. clear as mud
If the USSF who are in charge of the USMNT wanted to order JK to not pick Dempsey for the Gold Cup as a form of punishment, they could certainly have done that if they wanted to.
I did not expect them to but Dempsey plays at their pleasure, he does not have some divine right to be on the field if the USSF does not want him there.
Correct. That would be the difference between a mandatory punishment vs. a selection decision, whether by the federation or the coach.
Call it what you want.
Mandatory punishment, selection decision, injury, whatever.
All I care about is can he play in the Gold Cup or not.
I don’t really care why. The USMNT is just a soccer team that I am a fan of not some representative of American values and morality.
+1
What do you think of MLS’s three-game suspension on Dempsey? – Seems reasonable
Expecting U.S. Soccer to issue him a ban as well? – Future Open Cups . . . yes. USMNT . . . no. Suspect that JK will strip him of the armband though.
I think MLS ban for three games is fair. But why add on with an additional U.S. Open ban?
Fair question. I suppose you can debate the merits for and against. I think US Soccer will throw their opinion in on the matter and issue discipline if no other reason beyond feeling compelled to “do” something since they have the power to do so. The are meeting on the matter, so one would have to expect some type of resolution from that meeting.