Velez suspended 2 games, not 1

[Damien]

http://www.sportsnet.ca/soccer/2008/...sion_twogames/

The Major League Soccer Disciplinary Committee today suspended Toronto FC defender Marco Velez one game and fined him $250 for endangering another player with a deliberate blow to the head in Toronto FC's game versus Chivas USA on Saturday, Sept. 6.

Velez was involved in a physical confrontation with Chivas USA forward Alecko Eskandarian in the 2nd minute of first-half added time. Velez struck Eskandarian in the face, after Eskandarian made contact to the face of Velez on a challenge for the ball. Both players were issued red cards on the play, but due to the violent nature of the offense by Velez the Disciplinary Committee found that further disciplinary action was warranted.

This fine and suspension are in addition to the automatic one game suspension and $250 fine for the red card, totaling a two game suspension and a $500 fine. Velez will miss Toronto FC’s next two matches -- versus the Columbus Crew on Sept. 13 and versus the Kansas City Wizards on Sept. 20.

[Section 117]

But that little twat Esky only got one game WTF???

[Nerepis]

How is a swinging elbow less violent than a little poke in the nose?

[Ossington Mental Youth]

horseshit

[Pachuco]

Good. He deserved it. I wouldn't be surprised if Carver fines him further.

[Fort York Redcoat]

Yeah! Why stop at 2?

[Keyman]

That's very fair. Velez made an idiotic swing towards the head, that deserves 2 or more games.

[tfc2007]

Carver will use further disciplinary action towards Velez as well.

[NewcastleFan]

he deserves it

[Shakes McQueen]

How is a swinging elbow less violent than a little poke in the nose?

I think it has to do with intent. Esky probably wasn't trying to take a swing at Velez. Velez, on the other hand, clearly got pissed and took a swing a Esky.

One is dangerous, and deserved the red card. The other is dangerous AND violent, and deserved an additional game, as much as it pains me to say that.

Give Velez the armband for a match, and not only does he get himself tossed, but gets an additional game as well. Way to play selfishly and irresponsibly, Marco.

- Scott

[Chevy]

^^ QFT. And to top it all off he did it when his team was desperately short of personell.

[Shakes McQueen]

^^ QFT. And to top it all off he did it when his team was desperately short of personell.

And he did it when the club was about to potentially go up a man for the entire second half, giving them a chance at getting points from the game.

All he had to do was control his temper for a few bloody seconds.

- Scott

[RPB_Brantford_08]

Velez is being unfairly penalized, one game should be enough...not 2

[Nerepis]

I think it has to do with intent. ...
- Scott

I think that when someone goes up for a header swinging an elbow the intent is not just to win the header but make your opponent think twice about going head to head again. Is there an intent to injure, I don't know but but there is an intent to hurt. Velez was stupid for what he did in retaliation, he most likely cost us the game because he lost his head for half a second. I just think that the red and a game was punishment enough for both of them.

[Shakes McQueen]

Velez is being unfairly penalized, one game should be enough...not 2

One game is the standard for a red card. He is being suspended one additional game, for his violent retaliation. I think that is justified.

- Scott

[Shakes McQueen]

I think that when someone goes up for a header swinging an elbow the intent is not just to win the header but make your opponent think twice about going head to head again. Is there an intent to injure, I don't know but but there is an intent to hurt. Velez was stupid for what he did in retaliation, he most likely cost us the game because he lost his head for half a second. I just think that the red and a game was punishment enough for both of them.

You kind of helped my point though. We don't know what Esky's intent was - we can speculate, but we don't know. You can't give an extra game because you think a guy migth have maybe meant to do it.

There was no mistaking what Velez did - he got angry, and took a swing at Eskandarian.

- Scott

[Technorgasm]

But that little twat Esky only got one game WTF???

T.O. REJECT !!

[TFC USA]

He should get 9 more just for sucking.

[TFC Cityboy]

Tim Regan and Ricky Titus are better anyway....

[Nerepis]

You kind of helped my point though. We don't know what Esky's intent was - we can speculate, but we don't know. You can't give an extra game because you think a guy migth have maybe meant to do it.

There was no mistaking what Velez did - he got angry, and took a swing at Eskandarian.

- Scott

My thought is which is worse, going up for a header with a premeditated elbow or a punch in anger. But we could argue this all night or we could just fight it out. I'll elbow you in the head then you can punch me in the nose and after we've dusted ourselves off, we can both go for a beer at the pub.

then

[giambac]

he deserves it

He deserves a suspension for the remainder of the season.
Actually that would benefit TFC.

[CoachGT]

I think it has to do with intent. Esky probably wasn't trying to take a swing at Velez. Velez, on the other hand, clearly got pissed and took a swing a Esky.

One is dangerous, and deserved the red card. The other is dangerous AND violent, and deserved an additional game, as much as it pains me to say that.

Give Velez the armband for a match, and not only does he get himself tossed, but gets an additional game as well. Way to play selfishly and irresponsibly, Marco.

- Scott

I don't think intent had anything to do with it. This is his second red card in less than a month. I'd suspect that the rules say that you accumulate more games for every red you get.

[Shakes McQueen]

I don't think intent had anything to do with it. This is his second red card in less than a month. I'd suspect that the rules say that you accumulate more games for every red you get.

Yes, there is that consideration too.

- Scott

[Pachuco]

Velez is being unfairly penalized, one game should be enough...not 2

Right...you hate Hemming for walking out on the team, you hate Guevara for diving but yet you defend Velez for throwing an elbow at someone's head while being our captain in a game where we were missing 9 starters? dude what planet are you from?

Velez walked out on his team last saturday and I sure as hell hope he gets benched the rest of the season.

[Wooster_TFC]

I don't think intent had anything to do with it. This is his second red card in less than a month. I'd suspect that the rules say that you accumulate more games for every red you get.

I was under the understanding that unlike other professional north american sports, the amount of cards you got had nothing to do with it. Basically it boils down to this:

5 Yellows = 1 Game
1 Red = 1 Game + review of suspension

Review of suspension generally causes extra time if the red was due to violent behaviour rather than simply getting a second yellow, or being the last man back and taking someone out. I'm actually surprised he didn't get +2 games for the violent conduct, since that's the norm most of the time. I'm guessing it was only +1 because they felt that it was provoked, rather than out of the blue.

As for more reds = harder punishment, that is not necessarily the case, if you get reds for non-violent, they likely won't punish you any harder on the 15th than on the first. Now, if you go around punching people, that's a whole 'nother matter entirely.

[CoachGT]

I was under the understanding that unlike other professional north american sports, the amount of cards you got had nothing to do with it. Basically it boils down to this:

5 Yellows = 1 Game
1 Red = 1 Game + review of suspension

Review of suspension generally causes extra time if the red was due to violent behaviour rather than simply getting a second yellow, or being the last man back and taking someone out. I'm actually surprised he didn't get +2 games for the violent conduct, since that's the norm most of the time. I'm guessing it was only +1 because they felt that it was provoked, rather than out of the blue.

As for more reds = harder punishment, that is not necessarily the case, if you get reds for non-violent, they likely won't punish you any harder on the 15th than on the first. Now, if you go around punching people, that's a whole 'nother matter entirely.

On the suspension page of the MLS website, there are notes about accumulation of yellows and more severe penalties. After 5 you sit, then after three more you sit again, and so on. There are ways to get the card count reduced for good behaviour (going three games without a card). There isn't any specific mention of reds, but using the same logic....

[Oldtimer]

Velez walked out on his team last saturday and I sure as hell hope he gets benched the rest of the season.

Hopefully Carver will reconsider his previous high regard for Velez.
He has been more a negative than a positive for the team. He should be cut.

[Wooster_TFC]

On the suspension page of the MLS website, there are notes about accumulation of yellows and more severe penalties. After 5 you sit, then after three more you sit again, and so on. There are ways to get the card count reduced for good behaviour (going three games without a card). There isn't any specific mention of reds, but using the same logic....

Ah, I had missed that one. So MLS does it differently then every other league in the world, guess I shouldn't be so surprised, but...

[CoachGT]

Ah, I had missed that one. So MLS does it differently then every other league in the world, guess I shouldn't be so surprised, but...

It is a little strange, but MLS seems to have followed North American sports models more closely than the world model in stuff like this. I was surprised that there was no specific mention of reds under the accumulation issues, though.

[nimamalek]

he hit him in the chest WTF