Sporting Kansas City defender Amadou Dia was suspended for one game and fined an undisclosed sum for what the MLS Disciplinary Committee on Tuesday deemed "serious foul play" late in Sunday's 2-1 loss to Minnesota United.
Dia received a yellow card for a dangerous sliding foul committed against Loons star Emanuel Reynoso from several strides away in the 86th minute at Allianz Field.
Video review upheld the yellow-card call. Dia's legs went right through Reynoso's legs and left Reynoso writhing on the turf right in front of Loons coach Adrian Heath and the Minnesota United bench.
"When you look back, Rey is a lucky boy that hasn't done more damage, shall we say?" Heath said after team training in Blaine but before the decision was announced Tuesday. "It could have been a very, very serious incident."
The play was reviewed under the committee's "Parameter 3," in which match officials see an incident and don't issue a red card. The Professional Referee Organization acknowledged a video-review error and the committee unanimously determined a red card was deserved.
Dia will serve his one-game suspension Wednesday against Austin FC.
"It was a hard tackle, where, thank God, it didn't end badly," Reynoso said after Sunday's game. "I'm fine. But yes, I believe it was a bad tackle where I think the referee should have made another decision. But it's fine. It's the decisions they have to make and we have to respect that."
Reynoso and a teammate or two are recovering from what Heath called "some bumps and bruises" that he doesn't expect will affect them Sunday in L.A.
Reynoso's off-speed, successful penalty kick in the 39th minute stood as the winner on Sunday. This Sunday's game will be the Loons' seventh in a month.
"It seemed like every day we were playing a game," Heath said. "At this stage of the year, there aren't many players who aren't carrying some bumps and bruises. But it has been especially for Rey the last few weeks. He's got some nice coloring on his legs, let's just say that."
Dotson's time
Loons captain Ozzie Alonso's 72nd-minute yellow card on Sunday suspends him for Sunday's game because of his yellow-card accumulation. Expect Hassani Dotson to play alongside Wil Trapp in the midfield.
"It's disappointing for Ozzie because he has played so well," Heath said. "But hey, Hassani is more than adequate to step in."
Now on FS1
Sunday's game at L.A. will be broadcast nationally on FS1 and Fox Deportes. It remains a 5 p.m. kickoff Central time.
