Clint Dempsey loses his mind, rips up a ref's score sheet, gets ejected, faces possible 3-month suspension
Clint Dempsey received a red card and was sent off from the Seattle Sounders' match against their rival Portland Timbers in the fourth round of the US Open Cup and is now facing the possibility of a three-month suspension.
With the Sounders already down to nine players and having just given up the go-ahead goal in extra time on what appeared to be an offside play, midfielder Michael Azira was given a red card for an elbowing a Timbers player in the head.
As the referee was attempting to log the ejection into his score sheet, he appeared to be ready to give Dempsey a yellow card for arguing. Dempsey then walked up to the ref, grabbed the sheet out of his hands, and tossed it aside. Dempsey then went back, picked up the sheet and ripped it up. At this point, the ref presented Dempsey with a yellow card followed by a red card and sent him off, leaving the Sounders with just seven players to finish the match.
According to Sam Borden of the New York Times, this action by Dempsey qualifies as "referee assault" which would result in a suspension of at least three months.
