Toronto's Michael Bradley should have received a red card for his tackle of Atlanta United's Pity Martinez in the penalty box in the first half of Wednesday's MLS Eastern Conference final at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, according to captain Michael Parkhurst. Toronto won 2-1.
“Absolutely,” Parkhurst said. “From my view it’s an upper-body foul. An upper-body foul is DOGSO (denial of obvious goal-scoring opportunity).”
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A replay shows that Bradley used his left arm to pull Martinez down by his right shoulder in the eighth minute.
Parkhurst said that referee Alan Kelly said Bradley didn't touch Martinez's upper body. However, Kelly did give Bradley a yellow card and Atlanta United the penalty kick. Josef Martinez missed the penalty kick.
“Maybe a red card, I don’t know the rules,” Atlanta United manager Frank de Boer said. “You see a lot of times they give a red card in that moment and maybe a penalty.”
Toronto’s Nicolas Benezet scored three minutes later to tie the game at one.
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