Philadelphia Union physio Paul Rushing was bizarrely sent off during the club's MLS clash against New York City FC on Sunday night.
He received his marching orders in the 79th minute from referee Armando Villarreal after an altercation with a number of NYCFC players while he was treating Union attacker Julian Carranza, who was injured and down on the ground.
https://twitter.com/JTansey90/status/1541220897113227265
While it remains unclear what caused the commotion, Rushing proceeded to shove Nicolas Acevedo in the chest before the pair exchanged verbals with each other.
Rushing was ordered off the pitch by his own club's players, but the referee then pulled a red card out of his pocket and sent off the Philadelphia Union physio.
https://twitter.com/stuholden/status/1541212932737863680
The home side were leading 1-0 when Rushing received his marching orders, with Jim Curtin's side having taken the lead through Mikael Uhre's strike in the ninth minute.
However, City - who recently lost manager Ronny Deila to Belgian club Standard Liège - hit back and levelled proceedings courtesy of Valentín Castellanos.
It appeared as though the game was heading for a draw before substitute Cory Burke scored a dramatic winner in added time to move Philadelphia two points clear of their opponents at the top of the MLS Eastern Conference.
Tight at the top of the table
Despite this, NYCFC - who have won eight of their opening 15 matches - do have a game in hand over Philadelphia and can return to the top of the table if they win that game.
New York City face off against FC Cincinnati in their next outing, while Philadelphia Union travel to Chicago Fire FC.
Things would have looked very different. Every major refereeing decision leading up to the final few weeks of the Premier League season have been analysed, to establish how things may have played out differently, had PGMO officials always made the correct calls, in an impressive new report from the Athletic. The 2025/26 season ultimately ended […]
The biggest sporting tournament in the world is here… The World Cup gives us unforgettable goals and iconic moments that live forever in football folklore. But alongside the sporting drama, every tournament also brings pure chaos. From fans stealing the spotlight to viral celebrations, social media meltdowns, and the random incidents that somehow become bigger […]
It’s now an infamous tradition Following Paris Saint-Germain’s win in the Champions League final against Arsenal on Saturday, at least 780 people across France were arrested with more than 450 in custody, as football fans clashed with police. A person was found dead after an accident on Paris’s ring road, which rioters tried to block […]