LA Galaxy star Landon Donovan said Sunday he was not surprised by the post-match scuffle that saw Rafael Marquez of the New York Red Bulls and Donovan's teammate, Juninho, get red-carded, meaning they will not be eligible to play Thursday in the second leg of their 2011 MLS Cup Playoffs series.
"In all my years in this league, I've not played against a cheaper team, and they've been doing it all year," said Donovan. "It's a disgrace. We're here to play soccer."
Here is Donovan's version of what happened at the end of LA's 1-0 victory Sunday at Red Bull Arena. See the video to judge for yourself.
"The whistle blew and Marquez picked up the ball and threw at me. I was lucky I saw it and Adam [Christman] saw it as well and stood up for his teammate," said Donovan. "It's unfortunate that the guy who reacts always gets in trouble, but I'm glad that my teammates stuck up for me."
Donovan did not hide how he feels about the Red Bulls.
"You saw it a few weeks ago when [Thierry] Henry kneed someone in the back. We've seen that stuff all year," said Donovan. "It's happened all year. I think its just part of their makeup."
Henry, New York's star striker, missed the team's final game of the season against Philadelphia Union after being red-carded in a match against Sporting KC.