UPDATE: TheCup.us has been informed that the Inside Minnesota Soccer story written by Brian Quarstad was in error. The Harrisburg City Islanders DID NOT report the suspension violation in the following story to US Soccer. HCI General Manager John Gregg stated, “We read the story this morning and found out the information the same as everyone else. We made NO protest towards the player’s eligibility or status in the game, we were not even contacted about the story. We are very excited to be playing the Red Bull as it is a great opportunity for our team, fans, and business.” || TheCup.us Editorial Management
Tyler Ruthven didn’t play in the New York Red Bulls’ 3-0 victory over USL Pro side Charleston Battery in a third-round match of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Tuesday night.
But the defender was on the bench for the match, even though he was listed as suspended for the game in the U.S. Open Cup Handbook.
The Red Bulls were fined $500 by U.S. Soccer for the violation, IMSoccer News reported Saturday. U.S. Soccer Federation spokesman Neil Buethe told IMSoccer News that the fact Ruthven didn’t play in the match was a factor in the decision by the U.S. Open Cup Adjudication and Discipline Panel. (Read the full IMSoccer News report)
Ruthven instead will serve his one-game suspension next Tuesday, sitting out the Red Bulls’ fourth-round game against the Harrisburg City Islanders in Harrisburg, Pa.
Coincidentally, he was playing for Harrisburg when he received a red card in the 75th minute for a reckless foul during the City Islanders’ 2-0 loss to D.C. United in a quarterfinal match on July 21, 2010. That meant he would be suspended for his next U.S. Open Cup match.
Ruthven played for the Atlanta Silverbacks of the North American Soccer League in 2011 and NASL clubs weren’t allowed to participate in the tournament, meaning Tuesday’s match was his first possible Open Cup game since the ejection in 2010.
IMSoccer News reported that it was the City Islanders who filed a complaint with the USSF concerning Ruthven’s eligibility.
Buethe told IMSoccerNews that several other players who played in this season’s tournament were mistakenly listed as suspended in the 2012 U.S. Open Cup Handbook, including Ramiro Corrales (San Jose Earthquakes), Danny Earls (Rochester Rhinos), Felix Alfonso Motagalvan (Fort Lauderdale Strikers) and Wells Thompson (Colorado Rapids).
Governing bodies that sponsor qualifying tournaments for the Open Cup have differing rules than the USSF. For example, New York Greek American Atlas was disqualified from the 2010 Eastern New York tournament for having a professional player listed on its game-day roster, despite the fact that the player in question was playing in Romania at the time.