FC Cincinnati's Pat Noonan critical of Luciano Acosta suspension by MLS
Pat Brennan
COLUMBUS – FC Cincinnati head coach Pat Noonan had his say on Luciano Acosta's two-match suspension stemming from a red card in the club's July 9 match against New York Red Bulls.
Suffice it to say Noonan was displeased with the Major League Soccer Disciplinary Committee's decision to turn down the club's appeal of the two-match suspension tacked on to Acosta's one-match ban for the red card he received in the 1-1 draw with New York at TQL Stadium.
Speaking Sunday at Lower.com Field following Cincinnati's 2-0 loss to Columbus Crew, Noonan said it was alarming that Acosta was absent from the game due to the suspension.
"It’s really alarming that he’s not on the field tonight based on the video evidence of what took place, you know, in that match and that a committee can look at that video evidence and say ‘this is a two match suspension’ with a referee that handed out a necessary red card and then decided to be a showman in the moment and involve himself more than he needed to," Noonan said.
"Lucho didn’t even know he was there and he gets stepped on, grabs him and they take that as ‘assault.’ That was in the report. I guess we have different versions of assault but it is concerning that, again, much like VAR, you have people that are still viewing these things that are so far off on their decision-making.”
More:FC Cincinnati: Luciano Acosta suspension upheld, to miss two additional matches
Acosta was assessed a straight red card by center official Rosendo Mendoza in the closing moments of second-half added time July 9 after making contact with Red Bulls defender and captain, Aaron Long.
Since then, the issue has been a subject a frequent public discussion by the club, including after the Red Bulls match when Acosta used a press-conference setting to address officiating decisions against FC Cincinnati.
After Acosta served the first match of the suspension for FC Cincinnati's Wednesday home match against Vancouver Whitecaps, the club learned Friday its appeal of the additional suspension was unsuccessful.
Acosta missed Sunday's road match against rival Columbus, and will also be absent for Saturday's home game against Nashville SC at TQL Stadium.
"The MLS Disciplinary Committee has found FC Cincinnati midfielder Luciano Acosta guilty of failure to leave the field in a timely and orderly manner in the 90th minute of Cincinnati's match against the New York Red Bulls on Saturday, July 9," officials wrote in a statement Friday. "The MLS Disciplinary Committee has suspended FC Cincinnati midfielder Luciano Acosta for two matches and fined Acosta an undisclosed amount for exhibiting aggressive behavior toward and making unwanted physical contact with a match official in the 90th minute of Cincinnati's match against the New York Red Bulls on July 9.