Independent Review Committee Denies Orlando City’s Appeal of Rafael Ramos’ Red Card

An independent review committee has denied Orlando City’s appeal of the red card Rafael Ramos received in the 36th minute of the Lions’ 5-0 loss at Toronto FC on Saturday. It will be the second red card suspension of the season for Ramos, who earned a deserved sending off at Columbus early this season and apologized publicly for it.

The three-person committee, consisting of one one representative from the U.S. Soccer Federation, one representative from the Canadian Soccer Association and one representative from the Professional Referees Organization (PRO), "were not unanimous that the referee had made a serious and obvious error in the send-off," according to an official league release.

Ramos will have to sit out Orlando City’s home match against the Chicago Fire at the Citrus Bowl on Saturday, meaning the 20-year-old will be back on the sidelines just one game after returning from a month-long injury hiatus for a thigh knock.

The appeal was a long shot in the first place, considering that Ramos' foul was at least late and clumsy, if not the studs-up intent to injure that led to his first MLS red card. Not to mention that all three committee members must agree with each other, and PRO does not like to overturn their own refs' calls — of course, we don't know which members thought what.

Earlier this season, Orlando City won an appeal of a Cyle Larin red card. Each team gets two unsuccessful appeals per season, meaning the Lions now have only one remaining for the remainder of 2015.

Right wing Adrian Winter will also sit out Saturday night after receiving two yellow cards last weekend in Toronto.