New York City FC star David Villa escapes punishment for kicking out at player
TORONTO — New York City FC captain David Villa has escaped punishment for kicking Toronto FC midfielder Armando Cooper in Game 1 of the MLS Eastern Conference semifinal Sunday.
Villa was not punished on the field for the action, which came in the 20th minute of Toronto’s 2-0 win at BMO Field. The incident then went to the MLS Disciplinary Committee, which can sanction retroactively.
The league said Tuesday that while the committee agreed unanimously that Villa should have been red-carded on the play, its five members were not unanimous on the other tenet needed for a suspension — that “the play in question is of an egregious or reckless in nature, such that the Committee must act to protect player safety or the integrity of the game.”
That means the Spanish star, who was named a finalist for league MVP earlier Tuesday, will be able to play in Sunday’s rematch at Yankee Stadium.