Houston Dynamo star Hector Herrera was sent off with a straight-red card during the team’s Sunday playoff match against the Seattle Sounders, about 30 minutes before the Dynamo’s season ended with a 7-6 loss on a penalty shootout.
Playing in Game 2 of a three-game series, and having already lost the first game, the Dynamo were feeling the pressure when Herrera was whistled for a foul and handed a yellow card in the 65th minute. Not surprisingly, he disagreed with referee Armando Villarreal’s decision to blow the whistle and made that clear before walking past him.
But after Herrera walked past Villarreal, he turned around and spit at the referee.
I’m sorry, Hector Herrera spit at the *referee* to get sent off in a must-win home playoff game?
Inexcusable behavior. Absolutely shocking from the Houston Dynamo’s star. pic.twitter.com/9uzyQRK5Id
— Joseph Lowery (@joeclowery) November 4, 2024
The incident went to VAR review, during which Villarreal actually watched Herrera spit at him, then Villarreal issued Herrera a straight-red card that ended the Mexican soccer star’s playing time in the game, and eventually the season.
With the Dynamo’s 2024 season at an end, Herrera will have to serve any discipline at the start of the 2025 season. There was a similar spitting incident in MLS in October, and the offender in that case, Brayan Vera of Real Salt Lake, was fined and suspended two additional games on top of the automatic one-game suspension for a red card.
If MLS decides to issue the same discipline to Herrera, he would serve that three-game suspension next year, regardless of whether he’s still on the Dynamo — his contract is up at the end of 2024 but Houston has an option on him for 2025 — or on another team.