Dumb and Dema (Part Deux)
So because Dema Kovalenko received a red in an MLS game Saturday, he's eligible to play in the U.S. Open Cup game Tuesday against the Colorado Rapids, right?
Wrong.
He's suspended.
Kovalenko received a red in the last U.S. Open Cup game he played for Real Salt Lake. BTW, he has now received seven red cards in his MLS (not counting other competitions) career.
I'll have more from an infuriated Bruce Arena and his contrite players a little later.
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About 100 Percent Soccer
Sportswriter Nick Green has written the 100 Percent Soccer column since 2005 for the Daily News, Daily Breeze and other Los Angeles area newspapers. The blog of the same name began in 2007. A native of England, he began writing about soccer in the mid-1980s and in 2000 permanently exchanged a seat in the stands for one in the press box. He lives six miles from Carson's Home Depot Center, home of the Los Angeles Galaxy, Chivas USA and the training headquarters for U.S. Soccer and is married to a long-suffering soccer widow. Join Nick on FaceBook and follow him on Twitter.
I gotta tell you Nick, from where I was standing the tackle looked clean. Dema went right through the ball. The replays from the back-angle aren't helpful at all, but I'm 95% positive it was clean.
To make matters worse, Lollypop Guild Kennedy was going for the yellow in his front pocket and suddenly changes his mind and goes for the red.
Also, any word on why Julian Valentin didn't suit up?
Nick replies: In today's game you simply can't show studs on a tackle, no matter whether it's "clean" or not and I'm not convinced it was anyway (I haven't seen a replay yet having just got back from the locker room interviews). And he had his studs up.
Bruce Arena was incensed and called Kovalenko "a liability," while Dema apologized to the team (at least via my digital recorder) and said he must make better decisions, too. (And I'm no Kennedy fan, either).
As for Valentin, I don't know. Same reason why Magee didn't suit up, I'm guessing?
Thanks as always Nick. I just saw a bit of video from the post-game interviews.
Today's game hurt. It also hurt that I went in early looking for $1 beer and $1 hot-dogs only to find a 250 people-long line.
Nick replies: Customer service for a captive audience at its finest.