Real Salt Lake's Yordany Alvarez will be out of action nearly as long as injured New York Red Bulls Designated Player Tim Cahill.
That's the verdict of the MLS Disciplinary Committee, which on Friday fined and suspended Alvarez three matches for a "reckless challenge that injured his opponent." Alvarez's studs-up challenge on Cahill in the fourth minute of last Saturday's RBNY-RSL match left Cahill with a torn PCL which kept him out of Wednesday's AT&T MLS All-Star Game.
RBNY manager Mike Petke announced earlier this week that Cahill would miss up to 3-4 weeks with the injury. The next league match that Alvarez is eligible to play is Aug. 21 in Portland.
The Disciplinary Committee also came down on two other rough challenges from last Saturday.
WATCH: Daniel kicks out at Davidson
Philadelphia Union midfielder Keon Daniel was hit with a fine and one-game suspension for "an act of violent conduct against his opponent." The Trinidadian international kicked out at Vancouver midfielder Jun Marques Davidson, who was on the ground attempting to protect the ball. Davidson would react with a headbutt that earned him an 8th-minute red card, while Daniel was issued a yellow card on the play.
WATCH: Thomas goes in hard on Jimenez
Colorado Rapids midfielder Hendry Thomas was also levied a fine and one-game suspension for "a reckless challenge that endangered the safety of his opponent." That play also came early, in the fourth minute of Colorado's 2-0 win over the LA Galaxy. Thomas was not even booked for the studs-up tackle on LA's Hector Jimenez and would later go on to score the game-winning goal just before halftime.
Thomas did receive a yellow card in the match and will miss the Rocky Mountain Cup clash with RSL due to yellow-card accumulation. He will serve the one-game suspension issued by the Disciplinary Committee on Aug. 11 vs. Chivas USA.
For all of the suspensions and warnings ahead of the Week 23 slate this weekend, check out the MLSsoccer.com Disciplinary Summary.
