[CRIME & PUNISHMENT/VIDEO] Colorado Rapids midfielder Ciaran O’Brien was fined $500 and suspended for two games for his foul that injured Los Angeles Galaxy forward Carlos Ruiz, who underwent knee surgery and is out for four to six weeks. Galaxy defender Abel Xavier was fined a total of $1,600 and received an automatic one-game red card suspension for his actions in the game on Saturday.
Xavier was fined $750 for excessive dissent and $250 for failure to leave field following a red card that was given in the 89th minute of the game. He was also fined $250 for post-game public criticism of officiating. These fines come on top of a $250 automatic fine and one-game suspension for a red card and a $100 automatic fine for a yellow card caution for dissent received earlier in the game.
Click HERE to see the O’Brien incident.
Money from the fines goes to the U.S. Soccer Foundation and are added to the Foundation’s Annual Grants Pool from which the Board of Directors awards grants to soccer clubs and organizations that serve economically disadvantaged children in urban areas.