Strahinja Tanasijević has another game suspended for a melee in Toronto

Moments ago, the MLS Disciplinary Committee handed down additional penalties to both New York City FC and Toronto FC following the ugly post-match scenes that unfolded at BMO Field on May 11.

This round of disciplinary action is in addition to the suspensions announced prior to the May 15 games, in which the MLS DisCo handed one-game suspensions to five individuals: New York City defender Strahinja Tanasijević, as well as Toronto head coach John Herdman and TFC players Prince Owusu , Sean Johnson and Richie Laryea.

Today’s disciplinary decisions see Tanasijević suspended for a further game and fined an undisclosed amount, while Laryea is also suspended for a second game and fined an undisclosed amount.

According to MLS DisCo, Tanasijević’s additional suspension and fine constitutes “violent behavior under Disciplinary Committee Parameter 2”, with this parameter covering cases where a referee has issued a red card but additional disciplinary action is still warranted.

Tanasijević gets extra play for a headbutt attempt on Sean Johnson, which took the on-field confrontation to the extreme (no pun intended) and enraged the former New York City captain as he pursued Tanasijević. This means Tanasijević missed the NYCFC trip to Philadelphia and the first edition of the Hudson River Derby this year.

Laryea’s additional suspension and fine is for “violating the Mass Confrontation Policy by inciting and/or escalating a mass confrontation,” according to the disciplinary committee’s press release, which you can read in full here.

The suspension lengths are almost identical to those first reported by Tom Bogert The athlete on May 14, although Toronto’s Laryea and Owusu each received shorter suspensions than Bogert first mentioned.

Owusu was reportedly facing a two-match ban as, like Tanasijević, he was issued a red card after the game. However, the Toronto striker appears to have served his time as he was not suspended for another game by the MLS DisCo.

Also looking for further punishment: John Herdman, who went out of his way to confront Nick Cushing after the game at BMO Field and then accused the NYCFC head coach of hitting a 19-year-old Toronto player . presumably Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty, at halftime of the New York City-Toronto game at Yankee Soccer Stadium on March 16. Cushing has consistently and vehemently denied this accusation.

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New York City FC head coach Nick Cushing categorically denies hitting any Toronto FC player or staff member.

Herdman missed his team’s away loss to Nashville SC on May 15 but is expected to return to the bench for the Toronto derby against CF Montréal. Herdman also appears to have felt some remorse for his and his team’s behavior following their home loss to New York City on May 11.

TFC Republic’s John Molinaro reports that Herdman “admitted that he and his players should have shown more discipline,” and Herdman went on to say, “In those emotional moments, you let yourself down… With passion you need discipline, and sometimes it does “It’s passion too.” overflows to the other side where it just comes out.

It’s unclear whether this second suspension announcement marks the end of the protracted drama between New York City and Toronto.

Nick Cushing said New York City FC has asked MLS to conduct a full investigation into all events between its NYCFC and Herdman’s TFC in the two meetings in 2024, although the league has said nothing further about ongoing investigations or Herdman’s allegations against Cushing.