Ashley Cole awarded first Red Card

Ashley Cole received his first red card since joining LA Galaxy in surprising fashion.

The defender was given two yellow cards in the space of 32 seconds to receive his marching orders. Cole joined the MLS outfit in the summer after his contract with Italian outfit Roma was terminated by mutual consent. He was seen as a major move by LA Galaxy to strengthen the squad even further.

After all, the squad was rich with former Premier League stars like Steven Gerrard and Robbie Keane. The addition of Cole, who has won the Champions League and several other medals, was expected to provide huge experience to the team.

However, the defender did not seem to fully understand the situation in the 1-1 draw with Sporting Kansas City. The referee first book with the defender for apparent time wasting the 68th minute. Cole failed to remember that he would be working on a tightrope for the remainder of the game. His poor challenge just seconds later gave the referee the chance to send him off despite several calls from his teammates and the manager. LA Galaxy will feel let down by Cole’s indecision as they were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw later in the game. You could have got odds of 20/1 on Cole to be sent off if you had used a Betfred promotion code.

Only in the last two games have LA Galaxy looked like getting back to their former best. The club had managed only two victories before the wins against Houston Dynamo and Real Salt Lake. Despite the result, manager Bruce Arena defended his player in the postmatch press conference. "Some days are going to look like this. To grind out and get a point here is important. We're pleased with that," said the LA Galaxy manager, who has immense experience of getting clubs to MLS trophies in the past. The club’s next match is against New England at home.