Major League Soccer on Wednesday announced Orlando City CEO Alex Leitão and striker Dom Dwyer have received undisclosed fines for their social media comments that were subsequently published last month.
Leitão and Dwyer took to Twitter after Orlando City’s 3-2 loss to the Columbus Crew on July 21 to call out the referee for a penalty call in the 86th minute that the Professional Referee Organization (PRO) later announced was “unjustified.” The ensuing penalty kick was converted by the Crew and it leveled the match at two goals apiece.
Dwyer, who didn’t play in the match, said the call was “the worst decision I’ve ever seen.”
Wasn’t going to say anything but after seeing the ref’s cop out comments, the worst decision I’ve ever seen, If the ref had any humility he would check VAR, if he did “check” then it’s even more of a joke! https://t.co/MRzCWDHquY
— Dom Dwyer (@Ddwyer14) July 22, 2018
Leitão called the penalty “absurd.”
This is an absurd. I am sorry but there is no explanation for this one, nobody can be so incompetent. Hard to be in an insane pressure, work hard to recover to breath again and see something like that happens. Very frustrating. https://t.co/VnVubroSB3
— Alex Leitao (@alexleitao) July 22, 2018
A news release from the league said the comments are in violation of the league’s public criticism policy.
After the match, Orlando City was issued an undisclosed fine by the MLS Disciplinary Committee for its second violation of the league’s mass confrontation policy.
Also fined were Orlando City goalkeeper Joe Bendik and Lions midfielder Uri Rosell for “instigating and escalating a mass confrontation during the 94th minute of the teams’ match.”