"Midfielder to miss two games NEW YORK -- Dallas Burn midfielder Simo Valakari was suspended one game and fined $750 by Major League Soccer on Thursday for a postgame confrontation with a referee. Valakari already was facing a one-game ban for picking up a red card in the 89th minute of Saturday's 3-1 victory over the New England Revolution. After the game, he was involved in a verbal altercation with referee Alex Prus in the tunnel at the Cotton Bowl. Valakari, an MLS rookie from Finland, will miss games at Colorado on Saturday and against D.C. United on June 26." Simo already was facing suspension for the red card, and probably is very close to another suspension for caution points, so he figures why not confront the referee and make things worse? I know emotions can run high in games, but in this case the game was over and Dallas had won. Simo had been sent to the locker room with a couple minutes left in the game, which means this confrontation was probably pre-meditated on Simo's part. There was nothing to gain from this and now the whole team loses out. IMO a rather selfish and unprofessional decision.
Im not going to say anything bad about Simo. This will hurt his team but he has been a rock all season.
This is absolutely maddening. All I can say is that this was the first time in his career he has been sent off and it was for a nothing challenge (the 2nd one anyway). No excuse though. And now we miss him for one of the biggest games of the year.
I agree that Simo has been very good all season, but that is part of what makes this so maddening. Because of Simo's style of play I think everyone figured he would have a couple suspensions for caution points/red cards, but to add to it so needlessly when he is such an important part of the team shows very poorly on him.
I can forgive a few mistakes by any player. This is Simo's first big one......lets hope its his last.
I guess he had momentary lapse in judgement when he went after the ref. A rush of blood to the head if you will.
Exactly Drace. And even worse he did it when we need him to take care of the Ukranian beeeeeyaaaaatch. Noone has shown more passion to & appreciation of the Inferno in the past 4 years (ok maybe Suarez) & so I won't hold it against him for long but DAMN it's frustrating.
Another step in the long conspiracy by the league office to handicap Dallas. They don't want their beloved DC United and Fab Freddy to get beat on national TV. You heard it here first. Now, I have to go climp up in the tower...
On 3rd Degree's Thursday practice report, it said that was Simo's first red card in his whole career. That would make me pretty ticked if I was him, to go from English 1st division/Premiereship to getting red carded out for a minor infraction by a sorry American ref. It's obvious Simo takes pride in his game, and he can't figure out how aggressive to play because the officiating is so inconsistent game to game and often in the same game. Anyone got a Finland flag they can wave during the DC game?
Brushes Sand is our vexiologist - he has brought the Finnish flag several times. Simo told me that he has seen the flag and it makes him very happy to see it at the games, and that it makes him feel welcome.