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Good news, everyone! The MLS disciplinary committee believes David Villa should have been sent off for his kick on Armando Cooper on Sunday night.
Rightly so - and that means Villa will serve a suspension when New York City FC host Toronto FC this weekend for a place in the Eastern Conference final.
Or does it?
Disciplinary Committee: David Villa to be available for second leg. #NYCvTOR https://t.co/TdTZfm9hie
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) November 1, 2016
So, that’s pretty remarkable. The basis of the decision, in short, is this: though the entire committee agreed Villa should have been sent off, his actions were not “reckless” or “egregious” enough to warrant a retrospective sanction.
This is an all-too-predictable cop-out to keep a league MVP candidate in the playoffs.
Interesting twist: Armando Cooper himself went through the exact same process and received a one-game suspension after not being sent off for the below incident just six weeks ago.
RE: Cooper-Villa from yesterday, important to note that Cooper was retroactively suspended for this kick out at Felipe. #TFC #NYCFC #RBNY pic.twitter.com/jsflHEnXt8
— Eric Giacometti (@Eric_Giacometti) October 31, 2016
Sigh.