Seattle's Marc Burch has been suspended & fined by MLS
The MLS Disciplinary Committee is still on task during the playoffs, and today they caught up with Seattle defender Marc Burch. Burch used a homophobic slur directed at another player during Thursday's Western Conference Semi-final match at Real Salt Lake. In the 75th minute of the match, Burch was caught by television cameras calling RSL's Will Johnson a "F*ck*ng F*gg*ot."
Reaction by fans of both RSL and Seattle, as well as neutrals, was instant and negative. The incident called to mind another incident from earlier this season when Houston's Colin Clark directed the same slur at a Seattle ball boy. Clark was suspended and fined, and the league has followed suit with Burch, who was suspended 3 games and fined an undisclosed amount. He will also undergo sensitivity training.
For his part, Burch issued a public apology:
"I apologize for my horrific choice of words last night during our match. This is something that is inconsistent with my family values and because of that I am both disappointed and embarrassed by my level of poor judgment."
The suspension for Burch begins immediately. He will miss both games against the Galaxy in the Western Conference Finals, as well as MLS Cup if Seattle advances to the Championship. If they don't, he will serve the final game at the beginning of next season.
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