PITTSBURGH (August 31, 2016) – Pittsburgh Riverhounds midfielder Danny Earls has been suspended eight games by the USL for his red card offense in last weekend’s match against the Harrisburg City Islanders.
Per the League official Discipline Report, “[Earls] was suspended for three matches for the initial challenge on the Harrisburg player, and then the USL Disciplinary Committee added five games for the altercation with the referee.”
The suspension will cover the remaining five matches of the 2016 regular season and the first three matches of the 2017 season. Should the Hounds qualify for the 2016 postseason, Earls will begin serving his additional three matches during the playoffs.
“Danny is a passionate player, and a player who bleeds for this club,” said head coach Dave Brandt. “Those are good things to be sure. Though in this case, he let his fiercely competitive nature get the better of him and crossed a line he knows he shouldn’t have crossed. Though we’ll miss Danny on the field, we accept the penalty and know that it is something that he will both learn from and not let happen again.”
Earls said he apologizes for his actions.
“First and foremost, I apologize to the club, the coaching staff, and my teammates for letting them down on Saturday,” Earls said. “I always do my best to play with my heart on my sleeve and what happened on Saturday doesn’t show heart. It was a moment of frustration that I will learn from and try to never let happen again. My apologies also to the referee and his staff. It’s a tough job to ref any game and it doesn’t need to be made any harder than it already is.
“Lastly, I hope I have the fans support in this. I have always given everything I have in order for this club to succeed and I will continue to do so in the coming months. I look forward to putting the Hounds shirt on again very soon and representing this club.”
The club and Earls will not seek to appeal the League’s suspension.
