Red Bulls coach Mike Petke said Juninho didn’t deserve to be suspended for Saturday’s game at Toronto FC, but he understands why MLS extended his ban: They got hoodwinked by Jimmy Nielsen.
Juninho – vexed at the Sporting Kansas City goalkeeper’s incessant time-wasting – toe-poked a ball at Nielsen during a deadball situation in the 91st minute of last Wednesday’s game. Nielsen let the ball hit him and he dropped to the ground as if shot to draw a straight red card on the Brazilian, gamesmanship Petke understood and couldn’t even fault.
“At the end of the day I understand what happened. Mr. Nielsen doesn’t keep it a secret he can milk the clock with the best, and I take my hat off to him to be honest. He’s a seasoned player,’’ said Petke, who felt the flop was embellished.
“Juninho’s 15 yard away and he toe-pokes the ball to a pro goalkeeper. It hits him in the face and he goes down like a rock. Do I think he should’ve got two? No, I thought he should’ve got one,’’ said Petke. “But for him to go down like that, he fooled everybody. So I guess that’s where the two games comes from.’’
The referee issued Juninho a red card, which carries an automatic one-game suspension and fine. The 38-year-old midfielder sat out last weekend’s 4-1 rout of New England, but the Disciplinary Committee determined that Juninho’s actions constituted violent conduct that endangered the safety of his opponent.
Now he’ll also be fined and miss the April 27 tilt at Toronto FC.