FC Cincinnati: Luciano Acosta suspension upheld, to miss two additional matches
Update: Luciano Acosta was suspended a total of three matches for his conduct in Saturday's 1-1 draw with New York Red Bulls, and he'll have to serve all three games.
After Acosta served the first match of the suspension for FC Cincinnati's Wednesday home match against Vancouver Whitecaps, the club learned Friday afternoon its appeal of the additional suspension was unsuccessful.
Acosta will now miss Sunday's road match against rival Columbus Crew,, as well as the July 23 game against Nashville SC at TQL Stadium.
"The MLS Disciplinary Committee has found FC Cincinnati midfielder Luciano Acosta guilty of failure to leave the field in a timely and orderly manner in the 90th minute of Cincinnati's match against the New York Red Bulls on Saturday, July 9," league officials wrote in a statement. "The MLS Disciplinary Committee has suspended FC Cincinnati midfielder Luciano Acosta for two matches and fined Acosta an undisclosed amount for exhibiting aggressive behavior toward and making unwanted physical contact with a match official in the 90th minute of Cincinnati's match against the New York Red Bulls on July 9."
The suspension comes at a crucial juncture for FC Cincinnati (7-7-6, 26 points).
The club is unbeaten in six matches since the conclusion of the June international break but has drawn five of those matches and is leaving points on the table.
A loss to the Crew Sunday at Lower.com Field could see FCC overtaken in the standings by their biggest rival, and the following weekend's test against Nashville also becomes more challenging absent Acosta.
Acosta, who this week was confirmed to be included on the MLS All-Star Game roster, has six goals and 10 assists so far this season.
Previous: FC Cincinnati's turned the page on Wednesday's disappointing 2-2 draw with the Vancouver Whitecaps. The club responded better than expected in the two training sessions since the midweek match in which FCC let the three points slip away late, head coach Pat Noonan said during a Friday interview.
FC Cincinnati's next objective amounts to one of the most significant matches in club history: A "Hell is Real" rivalry game Sunday at Columbus Crew's Lower.com Field with both clubs jockeying for playoff position.
But FCC could have two significant personnel absences for the contest.
Luciano Acosta, FC Cincinnati's MLS All-Star-bound captain, and Sergio Santos, the newly-acquired striker, both have uncertain outlooks for Sunday's match.
Acosta is at risk for further discipline for the red card he received late in Saturday's 1-1 draw with New York Red Bulls while Santos came off the field unexpectedly early due to injury in the Vancouver game.
More: Sergio Santos injured in FC Cincinnati debut
Asked Friday about the players' respective statuses for the Crew match, Noonan said: "Still waiting to hear with Lucho, with the appeal process. And Sergio, getting a scan so he’s probably more doubtful than in, but there’s a chance."
Noonan went on to describe Santos' injury as a possible contusion but the forthcoming scan will reveal more details about the extent of the possible setback.
A 'Hell is Real' weekend starts Saturday with MLS Next Pro game
FC Cincinnati 2 will kick off the "Hell is Real" festivities when it plays at Historic Crew Stadium against Eastern Conference-leading Columbus Crew 2.
Cincinnati enters the match sitting last in the east (3-11-0) with Crew 2 are 10-2-2 overall, and have a four-point cushion atop the conference.
FCC2 head coach Tyrone Marshall said he expected an intense contest in the "Hell is Real" curtain-raiser Saturday (7 p.m.).
For us, and especially at this level, it's a little bit more intense," Marshall said during a Thursday interview at the Mercy Health Training Center. "The notch is turned up a bit more. Again, it's trying to tell them how it is to play games like this. It's going to be difficult. You want to win games like this. Winning these games can make your whole season if you're struggling. To get one up on your rival, it's a big opportunity."
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: FC Cincinnati: Status of Luciano Acosta, Sergio Santos for 'Hell is Real' up in the air
