Referee Tim Weyland pockets a red card that had just been issued to James Riley during a match against the L.A. Galaxy. Riley is one of five Sounders who've been shown red this season, a league high. Mark Malijan / NSSAs if accumulating their third shutout loss wasn’t bad enough, Seattle did themselves no favors by being shown a league leading fifth red card, this time to forward Nate Jaqua.
And it gets worse.
Defender Jhon Kennedy Hurtado was shown his fifth yellow card of the season, which was an automatic one game suspension.
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Before Jaqua, four other Sounders had received red cards: Freddie Montero, Kasey Keller, James Riley and Tyronne Marshall.
With so many replacements in the starting roster, it’s been difficult for the expansion side to build team chemistry.
And the lack of fluidity has been evident, especially in shutout losses like yesterday’s in L.A., where Seattle couldn’t find the net despite controlling most of the possession. Meanwhile, Chivas USA managed a goal during one of their rare trips to their side of the field.
James Riley, who received a red card after swinging his arm at an opponent’s neck during an argument, thinks the league should simply let the players compete and eliminate the suspension.
“To be honest, I don’t like it,” Riley said. “I think the referee should do everything they can to keep the guys on the field. It just keeps the quality of the product and the game better.”
And it would certainly benefit the Sounders, who’ve been struggling with injuries to their starters lately, although they are nearing 100 percent as midfielder Osvaldo Alonso heals from his right quadriceps strain.
Having a healthy team at this point in the season is a luxury for any team, but if Seattle’s trend of suspensions continues, health won't matter as coach Sigi Schmid shuffles the starting lineup week in and week out.
Reach Aaron Weinberg at nextseasonsports@gmail.com
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