Vanney wants Villa suspended for Toronto-New York second leg

Greg Vanney does not believe David Villa should be on the field when Toronto FC travel to the Bronx to face New York City FC on Sunday.

The Reds boast a 2-0 lead going into the second leg of their Eastern Conference semi-final and New York’s task could be made even more difficult if MLS decide to impose a retrospective sanction on Villa, who kicked out at Armando Cooper in the first half.

"I think there are instances in a game that regardless of who you are, when you make choices like that where a player's defenceless and you take a whack at him from behind, on any other day in any other league, I think that player sees a suspension," Vanney said, according to the Canadian Press.

"It will be up to our review panel and committee to make a decision, it's not my call. But for me it was pretty blatant. I saw it from the second it happened, I've seen a replay of it again. It's just not something that is acceptable really in the league.

"But whatever happens, happens. If he's on the field, we play. If he's not on the field, we play."

Patrick Vieira, meanwhile, felt referee Silviu Petrescu was influenced by the Toronto crowd - an interesting take given Mikey Lopez, who went in hard on Steven Beitashour and saw yellow, might also consider himself fortunate to have stayed on the pitch.

Will Villa receive a ban? The league would be well within its rights to punish him, but it would be more than a little surprising to see them kick one of the best players in North America out of a nationally televised playoff game if they have any means by which they can back out of doing so.