Can't wait for the reply from the Dallas boards... This is just going to get uglier and uglier... For what it's worth, I think Dema is a dirty player and incidents like this follow players like him for good reason.. With that being said, I still maintain he was simply trying to block the cross and it all went horribly wrong after that..
He's in danger of turning into a Dennis Rodman-type figure, in terms of attracting the refs attention on the field. I'm NOT predicting wedding dresses et al, BTW. Just that his reputation is such that he is going to be under extra scrutiny for each challenge. On a team that collects yellows like candy, he could easily become a liability. I'm surprised we haven't played man down yet, and if you think we have trouble scoring w/ 11 on the field, imagine 10. Thanks.
To me, the question is not one of intent. I don't think Kovalenko was trying to hurt him, and it's impossible to prove anyway... I think the question is more of recklessness. Was he playing in a reckless manner, and that recklessness ultimately resulted in a broken leg. Hudson's and Dema's quotes mostly defend him on the issue of intent. Dallas brings up the issue of recklessness. Perhaps this isn't the appropriate issue from a Laws of the Game perspective, but it's the one that makes the most sense to me.
If I may paraphrase the first few posts... "waaahhhhhhhhhh!" It was a reckless challenge and either the ref or the linesman should've been on top of that. And if he got O'B's left leg, I'd be all for a suspension, but the fact that he went in front of the left leg suiggests pretty strongly he was going for the ball (as about 35 people have said already.
If it had been Namoff or Prideaux I don't think we would be having this discuusion. It's Dema's reputation that's being judged here, not the play in question.
Practice in Central Park? I may have to get off of work and go over and take a gander I wonder where though...
Likely one of the softball field outfields - they're not as busy during the week in the spring. Either that or the small dustbowl just north of the great lawn - but they'd likely get schooled by the senegalese and italian guys always playing pickup there. (Sorry - as a metros fan I couldn't give you useful info without getting one cheap dig in) Hope you find 'em - I think its a cool idea and should be encouraged.
Is it not coincidental that the yield to DCU, so far in season, from the European draftees (Kovalenko and Hristo) are two (2) broken legs and no scores.... but who is keeping track! One can be sure than from now on, any opponent facing DCU will be sure to wear leg pads and more! IntheNet
I have no doubt that he was just trying to block the cross. It's just that in doing so, he made an incredibly reckless challenge.
League-wide, this stuff has to stop. They need to hand him a at least a one game suspension... And they need to do it on a lot more tackles like this. If he's a scapegoat this time, so be it. The bottomline is that this league is in serious jeopardy of becoming a boring as Hell defensive slugfest. Guys've got to be called out for jumping in on people, pulling people down and generally nasty play. And before anyone starts in with "Have you ever watched the rough play in the premiership/bundesliga/blahblahblah" -- you're fooling yourself if you think there's comparible talent and style of play in MLS. What WE get when this play is allowed is subpar soccer WITH thuggery. Clean up this crap, and perhaps the level of play will continue its incremental rise.