Philadelphia Union defender Gabriel Farfan suspended two additional games and fined by Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer has made a point of emphasizing this year its refusal to tolerate reckless and dangerous play in its games. Friday afternoon, the Union felt the full force of the league office's powers.
Philadelphia Union defender Gabriel Farfan suspended two additional games and fined by Major League Soccer
Jonathan Tannenwald, Philly.com
Major League Soccer has made a point this year of emphasizing its refusal to tolerate reckless and dangerous play in its games.
Friday afternoon, the Union felt the full force of the league office's powers.
Philadelphia Union left back Gabriel Farfan, a key player in the team's only two wins this season, has been suspended for an additional two games on top of the automatic one-game suspension he received with a red card in last Saturday's game at Chivas USA.
Farfan has also been fined an undisclosed amount.
(Why amounts of fines levied against players are not disclosed but fines levied against coaches are disclosed is a question I will try to answer soon.)
Farfan's red card came in the 85th minute, after he went in with both feet on a challenge against Chivas USA's James Riley.
In its press release announcing Farfan's fine and suspension, MLS stated: "The additional fine is being levied in part for both the egregious nature of the challenge itself as well as for failing to leave the field in an orderly manner."
In addition to missing this weekend's game against the San Jose Earthquakes at PPL Park, Farfan will have to sit out of the May 5 game at Seattle and the May 13 home game against the New York Red Bulls.
It is noteworthy that the total of three games that Farfan will miss is equal to the number of games that New York's Rafael Marquez will miss for this much-discussed tackle of San Jose's Shea Salinas on April 14.
Marquez was not sent off in that game, but the play broke Salinas' clavicle, and the former Union midfielder will miss somewhere between six and eight weeks of actions. Riley did not suffer any long-term injuries from Farfan's tackle.
MLS has yet to announce whether Union midfiedler Keon Daniel, who was also sent off in the game at Chivas USA, will face any further punishment.
Thoughts on this one?
This suspension is a joke.— Zherog- Completely ridiculous. Not even clear it should have been straight red.— philsoc8
If only they would add to Nowak's time off..........— daisy99- Wow, so are all red cards additional suspensions now? I understand retro for fouls not called and not seen but he got his extra game and hurt his team by bringing them to 10 men, I don't understand the additonal. Also, being fined for not leaving the field, if the ref had control of the game and did not let him get pushed while on the ground and then berated then these things would have never occurred. He tries to leave the field and is accosted by multiple San Jose players.
Also, again the foul is really dumb but Farfan is closer the the ball and Riley slide tackles the air to put his body in front of of Farfan and the ball, if Riley had the ball on his feet and Farfan blatently took him out then I would understand the extra games, but on a 50-50 ball this is just a dumb foul that deserves the mandatory 1 extra game. How this foul equates to Marquez is ridiculous.— Jmcurto 
Comment removed.- Comment removed.
- total bs... he was trying to keep possession of the ball. had he gone in cleats down he'd probably be out for the season with a torn up ankle. it was a tough challenge but you see this every week in BPL. wonder if any suspensions were levied against san jose for what happened after the tackle. MLS officiating is a joke. that landscaper of a ref totally lost control of that game with all the diving going on by san jose.— FBO4ever
- really liberty bell....? is this all you do all day. you must be just an absolutely miserable person to be around with. pity to have such a lonely existence.— FBO4ever
Reach Jonathan at jtannenwald@phillynews.com or 215-854-2330.
