By Canadian Press

Toronto FC coach says one-game suspension for defender Carlos Salcedo is ‘harsh’

Mar 10, 2022 | 2:30 PM

TORONTO — The MLS Disciplinary Committee’s decision to ban Toronto FC defender Carlos Salcedo one game for a tackle that only earned a yellow card from the referee is “harsh,” according to Toronto coach Bob Bradley.

“I don’t even think the AR (assistant referee) called the foul,” Bradley said after training Thursday. “It’s early in the year (and) there’s a tendency sometimes early in the year to be on top of these things more. If that’s the way it’s going to be done, then I hope there’s consistency throughout the year.”

Wednesday’s announcement of a suspension, arising from Saturday’s 4-1 loss to the visiting New York Red Bulls, deprives Bradley of his star defender at Columbus on Saturday. The Mexican centre back, meanwhile, has learned about the long arm of the MLS law in just his second game in the league.

The incident in question came in the 60th minute, deep in Toronto’s end. The ball squirted towards the sideline with Red Bulls forward Patryk Klimala corralling it just before it went out near the corner flag.

Salcedo’s lunging tackle caught Klimala at the feet of the assistant referee, who merely put his flag up for a Red Bulls throw-in. With the Polish forward writhing in pain, referee Rubiel Vazquez reached for his yellow card as Salcedo protested.

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Replays showed the Mexican international, no stranger to sliding tackles, got the top of the ball with his right foot which then slid up and took Klimala’s legs out.

Vazquez subsequently reviewed the play on a pitch-side monitor at the behest of the video assistant referee, Canadian Carol Anne Chenard. At normal speed, it looked like a nasty, lunging studs-up challenge — and unnecessary given Klimala was penned in at the corner — but Vazquez opted to keep the red card in his pocket and Salcedo was allowed to continue. 

In announcing the suspension Wednesday for “serious foul play,” MLS cited MLS Disciplinary Committee Parameter 3 which allows a ban “on incidents in which the Professional Referee Organization acknowledges an on-field referee/video assistant referee (VAR) error.”

“The incident in question must be, in the unanimous opinion of the (Disciplinary) committee from all available evidence: a clear and unequivocal red card,” the league said.

Salcedo, who has won 48 caps for Mexico and played club football in Italy and Germany as well as his native country, was also fined an undisclosed amount.

A fierce defender, the Mexican’s nickname is El Titan. 

Bradley said he had been alerted by the league that the play was under review and had spoken to league officials “just in terms of the consistency about which plays now get flagged and why and that kind of thing, because I’ve seen some others that to me warranted maybe a second look that haven’t received anything.”

Added Bradley: “It’s always interesting when PRO comes out and says a mistake was made because I think there are other moments when a mistake is made and PRO doesn’t acknowledge. That’s what I mean when I say consistency.

“It’s early in the season so let’s see how the rest goes.”

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 10, 2022.

Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press