MLS on Friday suspended midfielder Jermaine Jones for six matches, a ban that, if he remains in the league, would also prevent him from playing in two U.S. World Cup qualifiers next spring.
The suspension — which covers both club and national team games because it involved abuse of a referee — goes into effect when Jones returns to action, whenever and wherever that may be. He is out of contract with the New England Revolution and weighing options abroad.
If he returns to MLS, the suspension would start when the regular season kicks off in early March and overlap with the World Cup qualifiers against Guatemala late that month.