The United Soccer League (USL) on
Wednesday announced that it had suspended for two games the player
who allegedly called LA Galaxy defender Robbie Rogers “queer.”
Last week, Rogers returned to work
after being benched for two months over an ankle injury that required
arthroscopic surgery.
Rogers, the first openly gay players in
Major League Soccer (MLS), said in a Facebook post that “a player
from the opposing team called [him] a 'queer' repeatedly” during
the game's final 15 minutes.
USL President Jake Edwards said in a
statement that “the USL has zero tolerance for this type of
behavior” and that it would not “condone any language that is
counter to the values we have instilled throughout the USL.”
Edwards said that he had suspended
Orange County Blues midfielder Richard Chaplow two games and fined
him an undisclosed amount for using “offensive and abusive
language” toward Rogers.
Chaplow has denied the claims, telling
The
Telegraph that he swore at Rogers “for overreacting to a
foul but at no time was the language homophobic.” He added that
“to suggest I'm homophobic is ridiculous.”
According
to ESPN FC, an unnamed USL source has confirmed that its
investigation – which included reviewing video of the game and
speaking to referees, staff and players from from both teams –
failed to find evidence that Chaplow had hurled an anti-gay slur at
Rogers.