NEW YORK – Major League Soccer’s Disciplinary Committee handed down suspensions to four different players for their actions last weekend in MLS, including a decision to suspend Chivas USA midfielder Mario de Luna one game for an incident with a ball boy at JELD-WEN Field in Portland.
De Luna was suspended "for aggressively retrieving the ball" from the ball boy after he was caught on camera shoving the ball kid while retrieving the ball in the 86th minute of Chivas USA’s 3-0 loss to the Timbers [VIDEO]. He is the second player to be suspended for an altercation with a ball boy in the past year, after San Jose Earthquakes goalkeeper Jon Busch was handed a one-game suspension last June for a similar incident in Kansas City.
Because de Luna was issued a yellow card on the play and will serve a one-game suspension for yellow card accumulation May 19 when Chivas USA play Real Salt Lake on Sunday, he will serve this one-game suspension May 25 at Colorado.
Vancouver Whitecaps defender Johnny Leverón has also been suspended one game "for a reckless challenge that endangered the safety of his opponent," LA Galaxy forward Jose Villarreal, in the third minute of the Whitecaps’ 3-1 win last Saturday. (VIDEO). Leverón will serve his suspension on Saturday, when Vancouver play Portland.
Colorado Rapids striker Edson Buddle was suspended one game for a "reckless challenge that endangered the safety of his opponent," Columbus Crew midfielder Tony Tchani, in the 58th minute of the Rapids’ 2-0 win in Columbus. (VIDEO) Buddle will serve his suspension Saturday, when Colorado play San Jose.
And Real Salt Lake defender Kwame Watson-Siriboe was suspended one game for "violent conduct that endangered the safety of his opponent," Montreal Impact forward Marco Di Vaio, in the 52nd minute of the Impact’s 3-2 win last Saturday (VIDEO). Watson-Siriboe will serve his suspension Sunday when Real Salt Lake play Chivas USA.
MLS also announced Wednesday that Commissioner Don Garber has reduced by one game the suspension issued to San Jose Earthquakes forward Marvin Chávez for violent conduct in a May 8 game against Toronto FC. After hearing an appeal from Chávez, the decision means that he will be eligible for the Earthquakes’ game Saturday against the Colorado Rapids.
