Haris Medunjanin suspended two extra games; Union to pay tribute to Walter Bahr
Medunjuanin will miss Saturday's game against the Vancouver Whitecaps and the June 30 game at Los Angeles FC.
The Union finally got news Wednesday that they had expected — Haris Medunjanin got an extended suspension for his red card in Atlanta and the shouting at referee Sorin Stoica that came with it.
Medunjanin will miss two more games, Saturday's home game against Vancouver (5 p.m., PHL17), and June 30 at Los Angeles FC. That brings his total suspension to three games.
A judgment was needed on whether Medunjanin spit toward Stoica after the card, which could have made the suspension even longer. The MLS Players Association got involved in the review process.
"There was an appeal by the players' union that wasn't upheld," Union manager Jim Curtin said. "I don't agree with it, but we have to live with it."
Warren Creavalle will likely step in while Medunjanin is out.
Medunjanin's first game back should be July 7 against, coincidentally, Atlanta, at Talen Energy Stadium.
Tribute planned for Walter Bahr
The Union will honor Walter Bahr on Saturday by wearing black armbands with his initials. Bahr, who passed away Monday at age 91, rose from Kensington to become an U.S. soccer legend. He was the last living member of the 1950 U.S. World Cup team that upset England.
After his playing days, he coached youth players from Frankford High School to Philadelphia's Ukrainian Nationals club, and teams at Temple and Penn State. At Temple, Bahr coached Larry Sullivan, who went on to coach at Villanova. One of Sullivan's's best players was Curtin.
Curtin never met Bahr but knew of his exploits. .
"I've heard a lot of amazing stories about just what a mentor [Bahr] was and what he meant to soccer in this area and also on the national stage," Curtin said. "They talked about a guy who was class, who had a passion for the game, taught the game the right way."