Colorado

Tim Howard suspended 3 matches for 'inappropriate fan interactions'

Published Apr. 15, 2017 5:46 p.m. ET

Caitlin Murray

For the next three matches the Colorado Rapids play, they won’t have Tim Howard in goal.

The U.S. national team goalkeeper has been suspended for three MLS matches and fined an undisclosed amount for “foul language directed at a fan” during the Rapids’ loss to Sporting Kansas City last week and "an altercation with a fan following the game," the league announced late Friday. The league called them "inappropriate fan interactions."

While MLS did not specify exactly what he said, this video from the match appears to show at least one of the incidents in question. [WARNING: This video contains profanity]:

https://twitter.com/nmedrano_17/status/851266904756899840

Fans also reported on social media that Howard flipped the middle finger to the crowd and that he got into another altercation with a fan in the tunnel of the match, though no video of that has been made public.

After the suspension was announced, the Rapids issued the following statement: "Tim Howard made an unfortunate and regrettable mistake for which he is being disciplined by MLS. While this is out of character for Tim, we do not condone these actions."

"We accept the league’s decision and look forward to moving past this. The incidents that took place during our match at Sporting Kansas City last weekend do not represent the Colorado Rapids Soccer Club or Tim’s character and beliefs, on and off the pitch."

That match, a 3-1 win for Sporting Kansas City, was a tense one: Howard and Dom Dwyer got into an argument after the match where Howard angrily put his finger in Dwyer’s face, which video cameras also caught. Dwyer later told FS1 that he didn’t understand what it was all about.

The Rapids have a capable backup goalkeeper in Zac MacMath. But being without a star Designated Player certainly isn't ideal.

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