The USL has suspended Pittsburgh Riverhounds midfielder Danny Earls for eight games, the league announced Wednesday evening.
The Riverhounds’ midfielder was initially suspended for three games following a harsh tackle on a Harrisburg City Islanders player. However, Earls also was involved in an altercation with the match referee, resulting in the addition of five games to the suspension.
According to the Riverhounds, neither the club, nor Earls, will appeal the suspension.
Head coach Dave Brandt commented on the situation and said the club will miss Earls on the pitch but that everyone accepts the consequence.
“Danny is a passionate player and a player who bleeds for this club,” Brandt said. “Those are good things, to be sure. Though in this case, he let his fiercely competitive nature get the better of him and crossed a line he knows he shouldn’t have crossed. Though we’ll miss Danny on the field, we accept the penalty and know that it is something that he will both learn from and not let happen again.”
Earls apologized for his actions in a statement.
“First and foremost, I apologize to the club, the coaching staff and my teammates for letting them down on Saturday,” Earls said. “I always do my best to play with my heart on my sleeve, and what happened on Saturday doesn’t show heart. It was a moment of frustration that I will learn from and try to never let happen again. My apologies also to the referee and his staff. It’s a tough job to ref any game, and it doesn’t need to be made any harder than it already is.”
“Lastly, I hope I have the fans support in this,” Earls continued. “I have always given everything I have in order for this club to succeed, and I will continue to do so in the coming months. I look forward to putting the Hounds shirt on again very soon and representing this club.”
Earls will miss the remanding matches of the season and will also miss the first three games of the 2017 USL season as a result of his suspension.
The Riverhounds will face Orlando City B on Saturday, September 3 at 7:30 p.m. They’ll return home Wednesday, September 14 to face FC Cincinnati at 7 p.m.
Image credit: Riverhounds
