Wasatch Soccer Sentinel

On July 15th, MLS announced that RSL forward and club captain Chicho Arango would be suspended for four games for violation of the league’s anti-harassment policy. Chicho was suspended for two MLS matches against Los Angeles FC and the Colorado Rapids, the Leagues Cup match against Atlas, and the MLS All-Star game.

During this span without Chicho, RSL has acquired a solitary point in a draw against LAFC in MLS play. RSL lost some ground in the Western Conference and dropped down to third, though they have a game in hand on LAFC. In what has become a recurring theme for RSL, a summer swoon is dangerously close to derailing what had become high expectations.

In anticipation of Chicho returning to the line-up as early as the August 24th match against San Jose, there are two things to consider. One, Chicho let down the fans and the club by getting suspended. This is doubly true as the club captain, who is supposed to be setting an example. Two, RSL’s silence about the suspension is worrying.

Now, I know what you’re thinking, and before you go looking to see if someone finally knows the reason why Chicho was suspended, I can stop you now. No, it’s still not public knowledge why Chicho was suspended for four games. I do not know why Chicho was suspended either. I understand that will make some people say, “how can we be let down if we don’t even know what Chicho did wrong?,” and to that I say: exactly. That is exactly the point.

Let me clear up something. I have seen comments on social media suggesting there is some sort of conspiracy going on here. There is not. Chicho did something bad enough to warrant a four-game suspension that was neither challenged by RSL nor the player’s union, which suggests it was quite a serious infraction. This was not due to some words on the pitch or related to whatever knots you want to tie yourself into to relate this situation to Inter Miami and Messi.

RSL and Chicho’s personal representatives appear to have done some calculus, and that calculus is this: if it was public knowledge why Chicho was suspended it would make their working relationship more difficult. The club and Chicho have decided that keeping the reason for the suspension hush-hush and letting people speculate wildly is a better outcome than having any potential blowback from knowing for certain. Apparently, it is also bad enough to keep head coach Pablo Mastroeni in the dark.

(As a quick aside, can I just say that the whole exchange was insane? The head coach, responsible for picking the team, does not know why his top goal scorer and captain was suspended? You have got to be kidding me. If true, it’s an insanely bad look for what Pablo can be trusted with. If false, it’s an outrageous lie. There is nothing about that situation that makes him look good.)

What everyone at RSL and in Chicho’s camp is hoping for is that after quietly serving his suspension he goes back to scoring goals and everyone forgets about it. And make no mistake, there is something cynical and sinister about this. It’s in RSL’s best interest for fans to forget so they can get their best player on a designated player contract on the field to score goals and obviously, that is what’s best for Chicho.

But, as a fan, consider this for a moment: Is there a line for which an action by a player would lose your support? Cause you to reconsider getting their name on the back of your jersey? Is there a responsibility for RSL to release this type of information so we know the type of people who represent our club and community? Is RSL protecting a bad-apple for the sake of goal-scoring and on-field results? It’s hard to say, and, unfortunately in sports, the story is most often negative and cynical (see Miles Bridges and the Charlotte Hornets, for example).

When Chicho returns, I expect it will be to loud cheers. If the goals start flowing again, I expect many fans won’t really think about this incident again. But, be careful, because in the silence surrounding Chicho’s suspension, RSL and Chicho are speaking volumes.

Editor's Note - Correction: An earlier version of this story misstated RSL's record during Arango's suspension.