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The Union's season just got a little more grim, as the Major League Soccer Disciplinary Committee suspended Cristian Maidana two games total for spitting at Lee Nguyen of the New England Revolution in the waning minutes of last Saturday's match.
Maidana will miss a total of two games - one for the red card shown to him in the match and one more from the MLS Disciplinary Committee. He will be eligible to return on September 20 against the returning Sheanon Williams and the Houston Dynamo, and perhaps more importantly will be eligible for selection in the U.S. Open Cup Final on September 30 against Sporting Kansas City.
The loss of Chaco Maidana hurts, as the Argentine central attacking midfielder has been one of the few bright spots in an otherwise awful season for the Union. Despite a league leading 14 assists from Maidana, Philadelphia has lingered around the bottom of the MLS table.