Atlanta United Technical director Carlos Bocanegra said through a spokesman that the team will not disclose if it appealed the red card given to defender Leandro Gonzalez Pirez in the second half of Saturday’s 2-1 loss at Montreal. The team had 24 hours from the finish of the game to appeal. Bocanegra declined to say why the team won’t say if it appealed the red card.
It was the third red card received by a player on the MLS expansion team, which has played just six games.
Referee Alan Kelly ruled that Pirez fouled Montreal’s Matteo Mancosu, denying him a clear goal-scoring opportunity during stoppage time in the first half. Kelly’s judgment resulted in a penalty kick, which Ignacio Piatti converted to tie the game at 1, and the ejection of Pirez. Mancosu didn’t have possession of the ball and it wasn’t clear if he was going to be able to get to the ball when the two players got tangled in the penalty box.
If Atlanta United appeals the red card, and a panel rules in the team's favor, Pirez can play in next week's game at Real Salt Lake. If the appeal isn't filed, or is and is rejected, he must sit out the game. Clubs are allowed two unsuccessful appeals each season.
Bocanegra said that injured players Tyrone Mears and Josef Martinez would be assessed this week. Martinez, the team’s leading scorer with five goals, has missed the past three games because of a calf injury sustained while playing for the Venezuelan national team. He was expected to miss 4-6 weeks. Mears was a late scratch for Saturday’s game after sustaining an ankle injury.
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