At least bites can only transmit disease.
The Atlanta Silverbacks of the NASL should be celebrating a 2-1 upset of the Colorado Rapids, as head coach Eric Wynalda continues his winning ways in the 2014 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.
Instead, they are lamenting a regrettable and heinous incident that saw a four players given red cards and both head coaches sent to the stands.
Silverbacks forward Jaime Chavez, 26, stomped on the face of prone Rapids defender Drew Moor after a battle for the ball sent Moor to the turf, opening an “inch-wide cut” on the Rapids captain. The fight that followed featured Rapids defender Marc Burch taking a swing at Chavez, and left Atlanta down to 8-men for the rest of the match.
Burch was dismissed by referee Juan Guzman, but the Silverbacks saw three players sent off: Chavez as well as Kwadwo Poku and Borfor Carr. Wynalda and his Colorado counterpart, Pablo Mastroeni, were also sent off for leaving their technical areas.
Remarkably, Atlanta only conceded once the rest of the way. Perhaps of bigger note, the incident was the first card shown of either color in the match. Three yellows were shown the rest of the way.
Head here for the video and skip to the 50-minute mark for the lead-up to the stomp and ensuing madness.
Chavez probably shouldn’t play again this season, if not longer. As for anything that ensued, it’s terrible for the game but almost understandable. If I was Burch, I would’ve responded the same way if not worse. Awful.