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Sandy • Jeff Cassar's phone rang around 5 p.m. Monday. On the other end was Jeff Agoos, vice president of competition for Major League Soccer. He did not have great news for Cassar and Real Salt Lake.
Agoos informed RSL's coach that forward Burrito Martinez was going to receive a one-game suspension for his late foul on Portland's Darlington Nagbe in Saturday's wild 2-2 draw at Providence Park.
The Martinez suspension ups the number to three RSL players who will now miss the road trip to Sporting Kansas City on April 2 after captain Kyle Beckerman and defender Jamison Olave were shown straight red cards in Portland.
Cassar defended his team Tuesday, saying "it's clear as day" what referees in MLS are doing early on this 2016 season.
"They're trying to send a message, so every half-thing that looks like a red card is a red card right now," Cassar said.
Three weeks into the new season, 10 red cards have been handed out to players on eight different clubs. RSL has three of those 10, two more than any other club. Cassar was adamant in saying that the red cards aren't malicious, rather they are poor reactions to spur-of-the-moment situations.
"I don't think it's a discipline thing, I don't think it's a personality thing," he said. "It's the beginning of the year and the referees are card-happy right now. So what we continue to do is bring it to our players' attention that you can't put yourself in those situations and [the refs] are card-happy. It's clear. We're going to have to try to adapt to it, but it is what it is."
Olave received his fourth red card in his past 20 league appearances when his hand caught the face of Timber forward Fanendo Adi, but Cassar defended his center back saying that he's often times being singled out.
"It's pretty clear that the referees look at certain people," Cassar said. "I think they need to look at a lot of other people. [Olave's] been in the league now for how many years? When he started out and he's dominating everybody and knocking people over … Now [referees] watch him like a hawk. But they don't watch other people like a hawk, and they need to."
Howard joins Rocky Mountain rivalry
One of U.S. Soccer's most-decorated products is returning to MLS and joining the Rocky Mountain rivalry.
On Sunday, the Colorado Rapids announced the acquisition of goalkeeper Tim Howard. The 37-year-old has spent the last 10 seasons with Everton FC in England, but is returning to MLS after breaking into the league with the former New York MetroStars in 1998.
"As a competitor you want to play against the best players, and he is and has been for a while one of America's best players," RSL right back Tony Beltran said. "I think it's cool. I think it's great for the league and good for Colorado."
Howard, a starter at the past two World Cups who has 106 career national-team caps, is expected to finish the season at Everton before joining the Rapids in early July.
"I don't enjoy it," Cassar joked. "I'd rather [the Rapids] make a lot of bad decisions. But it's good for the league."
Injury report
Yura Movsisyan left the 2-2 draw in Portland with an adductor strain, but Cassar said he expects the striker, who scored to put RSL up 2-0, to be fine by the end of the week.
Midfielder Javier Morales is still dealing with pain from a lingering rib contusion suffered on March 6 and was replaced by Luke Mulholland in the second half of the Portland match.
Cassar said Morales will go through a few days of jogging to avoid further impact, but should be good to go for the Sporting KC trip on April 2.
Twitter: @chriskamrani —
RSL at Sporting KC
April 2, 6 p.m.
TV • KMYU