All eyes were on referee Ricardo Salazar in the 51st minute of Saturday's game between the New England Revolution and New York City FC. Salazar had stopped play after seeing Gershon Koffie's tackle on Tommy McNamara. Salazar went to his back pocket and issued a red card, reducing the Revs to ten men.
It was a big decision by the man in the middle, especially considering the game was tied 1-1. The Revs protested the call but found no success.
So, was the call the right one? Not in my opinion.
Koffie's tackle is certainly late and worthy of discipline, but it's not overly reckless. The midfielder was making an honest play on the ball and just mistimed his challenge. The tackle is kept low, a sign that he wasn't trying to injury McNamara.
Is it possible that the play could've resulted in an injury? Sure, especially given the speed that Koffie came in at. That said, tackles like this are seen in almost every MLS games. If a red was issued every time then it would be a rarity to see a game end 11 v 11. A yellow card would've been a more appropriate response from Salazar.
What do you think? Was red the right call? Vote in the poll below or let us know in the comments section.