LA Galaxy midfielder, Nigel de Jong, has a reputation of committing some dirty tackles and he saw a red card yet again for a questionable challenge against Vancouver.
Although he has played at the highest levels of football in Europe, Nigel de Jong has a reputation of committing questionable tackles on opponents. He has always been known as a feisty player who isn’t afraid to mix things up in the middle of the pitch. He aggressive style has made him a great player but his recklessness has given him the stigma of a dirty one.
De Jong committed a horrifying tackle against the Vancouver Whitecaps on July 4th in the LA Galaxy’s 2-0 win over the Whitecaps. The team’s strong play was overshadowed by the sickening challenge from Nigel. He was shown a straight red card and it is the second time this season that he will be suspended.
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He committed a controversial tackle on Darlington Nagbe of the Portland Timbers earlier in the season when he went right after Nag’s ankle. Darlington had to be carted off of the field but he only sustained a minor ankle injury as a result. Somehow, de Jong escaped a red card in that match and was only given a yellow. Although, Nigel was later suspended three games for that play.
The 5’9 midfielder committed the reckless challenge against Blas Perez of Vancouver in the 74th minute of the match. De Jong was upset with the referee and Perez just before he committed the horrible tackle as he thought he was hit in the face by Blas a few seconds before. Nigel thought best to take matters into his own hands and commit a rash challenge on Perez by going straight for his ankle with a potential leg breaking tackle.
Luckily, Perez’s foot was not planted into the ground because if it was, we might be talking about a serious injury. This was clearly a serious foul that deserved a straight red from the referee. Here is a look at the tackle by de Jong:
The 31-year old Dutchman was signed on January 31st by the Galaxy from AC Milan on a free transfer. His aggressiveness in the midfield has been a mainstay in the first team this season. He has played and started in 12 games this year.
Next: LA Defeats Vancouver 2-0
It will be interesting to see if de Jong is suspended more than one game for his latest tackle against the Whitecaps. It was reckless for sure and the MLS make take it into their own hands to suspend the Dutch international for a few games. Nigel has been one of the LA Galaxy’s most consistent players this season.