BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- Sent off for a second yellow card received in the 73rd minute of Saturday’s game vs. New England, Fire forward Quincy Amarikwa said he hoped his red card would be overturned so he’d be available for the team’s next match May 3 vs. Real Salt Lake.
No doubt the team’s leading scorer was emotional given the set of circumstances around the match, but the wishful thinking seems to be just that with Fire head coach Frank Yallop saying Wednesday the club had not moved for an appeal.
“We looked at the incident and its two separate things, two different yellows,” he told reporters post-training. “If it’s a straight red and he doesn’t touch him you can then say ‘I think we got it wrong.’”
Amarikwa received his first yellow card in the 34th minute when referee Sorin Stoica cautioned him for what he saw as a dive in the box (WATCH). The sixth-year MLS forward saw his second in the 73rd minute for a dragging challenge on Revolution midfielder Andy Dorman.
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Depending on the angle, you could argue against either yellow card but Yallop recognized he’d be fighting a losing battle in appeal.
“Arguably, Quincy clips him with his trailing leg and it’s up to the referee to decide if that was dangerous play or not. He decided it was. I said before it was quite harsh on both of them to be honest but nothing we can do right now.”
With Amarikwa suspended for the May 3 game vs. Real Salt Lake, Yallop said he’d get time in Friday’s reserve match away to USL PRO side Charlotte Eagles.
With the week off from MLS play, Yallop said Wednesday he would use a mix of first team and reserve players for the match and potentially look at Amarikwa’s short term replacement.
“Juan Luis [Anangono] is probably a straight replacement [for Amarikwa] if you wanted to go with a forward. I need to pick the right formation that’s going to be effective against RSL. Not that you want to counteract that and play into their hands but we’ve got to make sure we’re ready for that game.”
Yallop went further in saying he was having a look at Victor Pineda, Benji Joya or Harry Shipp to fill in for Amarikwa’s absence vs. RSL.
“They’ve all got a chance to play in the middle or as a second forward,” he said. “They’re all capable of playing there which is good. We don’t have to play with a big target man – I’ve played with different formations in my career. I think Quincy is very mobile anyway the way he plays.
“I want to pick the right personnel and be ready to go in that game.”
