VANCOUVER, B.C. - The Vancouver Whitecaps will head out on the road for a match against winless D.C. United (0-2-3) on Saturday at RFK Stadium and they won't have Matias Laba or Pedro Morales available.
Major League Soccer referees have handed out 16 red cards this season and that isn't sitting well with players, coaches, media, and fans. Nobody knows what's going to be called a foul, when a card will be issued, and what supplemental disciplinary could follow in the days to come.
RedNation Online caught up with Matias Laba after training this week and asked him about the red card he was given. While he and disagrees with what happened, Laba does respect the decision.
"For me no, for me no, because I touched the ball and the ball was going ahead. For me it's no foul or red card. It's about the decision, he made the decision and I have to respect it."
Immediately after LA Galaxy forward Mike Magee went to ground, Nigel de Jong and his Galaxy teammates quickly surrounded referee Jair Marrufo before he made his decision regarding which card, if any he would show Laba. The Whitecaps midfielder isn't sure if the mass confrontation from the visitors influenced Marrufo's decision to award a red card.
"Maybe yes, maybe no. I don't want to think about that because if it's like this, it's ridiculous. I don't know, I respect the decision. For me it was no penalty (foul), but that's it."
After a few days off with his family, Whitecaps coach Carl Robinson hasn't changed his view on the Laba sending off.
"I watched it probably too many times and I said at the time, that I didn't believe it was a sending off. Not much has changed, but I respect the decision as always I do, and we move on."
MLS teams are permitted two suspension appeals each season. While Christian Bolanos, Jordan Smith, Masato Kudo, and now Matias Laba have all been suspended retroactively or non-retroactively by the MLS DISCO. The Whitecaps have yet to use either of their appeals thus far this season.
It does not sound like the Whitecaps will appeal Matias Laba's red card, but Carl Robinson did not close the door. The gaffer will have talked to Peter Walton, General Manager of the Professional Referee Organization (PRO) and Jeff Agoos, Vice President of MLS Competition.
"Yeah we're looking at it," said Robinson. "I'm speaking to Jeff (Agoos) and Peter (Walton) now after I speak to you guys, just to go through the process. We'll try and turn over every stone to try and see what's possible and what's not. If we can, we will and if we don't think it's right we won't and we'll move on."
Matias Laba is known for his strong defensive tackles, great positioning, and awareness protecting the Vancouver back-line. He isn't sure if he will now have to change the way he plays because of what has happened.
"Yes, I don't know," admitted Laba. "I don't know if in the next game I can make another tackle, you know. This red card has affected me a lot, I don't know. I will think about it and talk with Robbo (Carl Robinson). I will try to do my work hard every game."
Vancouver will look to re-group with the players that are available for this weekends fixture and hope that the over abundance of red cards takes a bit of a back seat so the team can focus on playing football.
Notes: The Vancouver Whitecaps will be without the services of MLS leading-scorer, Pedro Morales for at least the next couple of weeks. The Whitecaps are awaiting MRI results on a suspected groin injury.
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