Strahinja Tanasijević suspended after Toronto FC confrontation

Note: This post was updated on Tuesday, May 14 at 10:13 pm ET

New York City FC defender Strahinja Tanasijević and Toronto FC striker Prince Owusu earned red cards for their actions in the on-field brawl that followed NYCFC's 2-3 win on Saturday night at BMO Field.

The red cards were issued after the end of the game, and aren't reflected in the match report. But both players are now credited with red cards in their individual MLS match logs, and will miss tomorrow's midweek games. The suspensions were first noted on X by MLS Referee Stats and Justin Egan of The Outfield.

(Update: The MLS Disciplinary Summary for Matchday 14, which include the suspensions, was made public on Tuesday, May 14 at 9:30 pm ET.)

Altercation after the final whistle between Toronto FC and NYCFC.

Sean Johnson and Strahinja Tanasijević in the middle of it. pic.twitter.com/qsIRc9Oqhb

— Tom Bogert (@tombogert) May 12, 2024

Those two red cards aren't the only suspension of the game. They follow Toronto's Frederico Bernadeshci second card for dissent, which was issued in stoppage time. Bernadeshci's first yellow card, also for dissent, was issued in the 22nd minute.

In total, seven yellow cards and three red cards were shown in an ill-tempered game that turned ugly after the final whistle. This likely isn't the end of it. The MLS Disciplinary Committee is expected to issue additional rulings later today after reviewing footage of the postgame confrontations, and could announce more suspensions.

In the postgame press conference on Saturday night, Toronto captain Jonathan Osorio said that the on-field fights were the result of "bad blood" between the clubs after New York City defeated Toronto at Yankee Stadium on March 16. The two teams confronted each other at halftime, and Osorio asserted that a Toronto player was assaulted by a NYCFC coach.

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Hudson River BlueHudson River Blue Staff

Toronto head coach John Herdman followed up Osorio's comment by alleging that New York City head coach Nick Cushing "punched" a "19-year-old" Toronto player presumed to be Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty.

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New York City FC head coach Nick Cushing categorically denies that he punched any Toronto FC player or staff member.

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Cushing categorically denied assaulting any player. Yesterday, New York City announced that they requested that MLS investigate the incident and allegations.