Former Atletico Madrid and MLS star Hector Herrera shown red for BIZARRELY spitting at referee in protest

Houston Dynamo skipper Hector Herrera was shown a red card for spitting at the referee's feet, during an MLS play-off match against Seattle.

Former Atletico Madrid and MLS star Hector Herrera shown red for BIZARRELY spitting at referee in protest

MLS star Hector Herrera was awarded a red card for bizarrely spitting at the referee. (via GOAL)

Ex-Atletico Madrid star Hector Herrera was shown a straight red card for a shocking incident in an MLS playoffs match between Houston Dynamo and Seattle Sounders. The Houston skipper was sent off for bizarrely spitting at the referee’s feet in protest of his decision.

Hector Herrera is one of the most established names in Mexican football, having played more than 100 matches for the national team, while also enjoying successful careers with Porto and Atletico Madrid. However, the 34-year-old veteran Houston midfielder embroiled himself in a controversy, for an incident that occurred during an MLS Western Conference play-offs encounter.

The match ended with a 1-1 scoreline, with Seattle Sounders later proceeding to the next round after a 7-6 penalty shoot-out win.

In the 65th minute, the Houston Dynamo skipper was initially shown a yellow card for a foul on defender Jackson Regan, as he brought down the Seattle Sounders man from behind. Disagreeing over referee Armando Villareal’s decision, Herrera showed off a poor display of sportsmanship by spitting towards the referee’s feet when he turned around.

The referee did not notice the Mexican’s behavior, until VAR stepped in. After reviewing the outrageous incident on the monitor, Villareal handed Herrera a straight red card.

Meanwhile, the match also saw Houston Dynamo head coach Ben Olsen being shown a yellow card after he objected to the referee’s decision to show Hector Herrera a red card. Olsen later clarified that he did not have a conversation with his club captain about what had happened.

Inter Miami suffers shock 2-1 defeat to Atlanta United keeping MLS playoffs series alive

With the MLS playoffs ongoing, there have been a lot of surprises, which include Atlanta United’s recent 2-1 win over Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami in the Eastern Conference play-offs. The scores now stand 1-1 between the two sides, both having won a match each.

MLS Inter Miami and Atlanta United
Atlanta United secured an impressive 2-1 victory over Inter Miami in the MLS play-offs. (via Miami Herald)

Atlanta United leveled the play-offs series, thanks to goals from Derrick Williams and Xande Silva. Argentinian star Lionel Messi, who had failed to score a goal in the first leg, was unlucky as his goal was cancelled out due to offside. Atlanta came back from a 1-0 half-time deficit, keeping the three-match series alive. The two sides next face each other on November 10, in the decider.

Inter Miami, who won the season’s MLS Supporters’ Sheild title after a record-breaking points tally, had hoped to claim a win and qualify to the next round. Meanwhile, New York RB, Minnesota United, LA Galaxy and Seattle Sounders are the other teams to have already qualified.