LA Galaxy midfielder Nigel de Jong will be suspended for his for his ugly tackle on Portland's Darlington Nagbe last weekend, MLS commissioner Don Garber confirmed on Thursday. But the league's referee czar suggested that, while the challenge was deserving of a red card, the controversial Dutchman might not have to sit for long.
Garber said that De Jong's suspension, which is expected to be announced on Friday, "will be in line with similar nasty tackles." However, Peter Walton, the general manager of the Professional Referee Organization that oversees the officials who work the domestic league, said the fact that Nagbe wasn't seriously injured could spare De Jong a more severe sentence.