SA's completely unbiased report of Nowak's remarks :(

[SoccerPrime]

'He said, they said'

By Ridge Mahoney

MLS is concluding its investigation into what D.C. coach Peter Nowak said during a D.C. United-Real Salt Lake preseason match last week but it's very unlikely any solid evidence will be unearthed that he shouted, as RSL representatives claim, "Send him back to Africa" after Atiba Harris committed one of several clumsy fouls.

D.C. United contends that Nowak said Harris should be "sent to hospital," which isn't the most sportsmanlike thing a coach can say about an opponent but nothing like what RSL officials are alleging.

Harris -- a rookie who hails from the Caribbean island of St. Kitts and Nevis, by the way -- is on trial with Real Salt Lake and dished out several brutal tackles while also setting up Jeff Cunningham for two goals in a 3-1 Real win.

The league is ensnared in a classic "He said, they said" situation. Unlike an incident a few years ago when an American University player suffered a broken leg when he was barreled over by an aggravated Hristo Stoitchkov of D.C. United, there's no video or audio record to provide an impartial account.




Witnesses on both sides have dug in and steadfastly maintained their accounts of what they believe they heard. Impasse.

Regardless of what the investigation uncovers and what punishments the league will hand out, however, D.C. officials are incensed that Real Salt Lake went public with the dispute in an interview with a Salt Lake radio station.

Real coach John Ellinger didn't repeat what he thought Nowak had said but acknowledged the tone.

In the league's single-entity system, teams have less leeway to fine or discipline their representatives than they would under a more traditional setup. Virtually all disciplinary matters must go through the MLS office. But in this case a league would have to get involved anyway, since accusations were made publicly.

A bit of bad blood runs between the teams. They played twice last year; both times D.C. won by big margins, and both times Nowak and Ellinger refused to shake hands.

The league will probably fine Nowak for his remark, although players and coaches -- and sometimes team executives -- have been known to spout all manner of insults and threats in the heat of competition.

Nowak, a native of Poland, is a fierce competitor and sometimes his accented English can be hard to understand. Regardless, doesn't he -- and anyone else -- in a situation like this deserve the benefit of the doubt?

[Deuce]

I am sure you were being sarcastic with your statement of nonbias.... correct?

All I saw was the writer towing the DC line...

[SoccerPrime]

Yeah, he was just a little pro-DC, wasn't he? 🙄