Sent off against Toronto FC, Salt Lake’s Diego Luna has red card rescinded on appeal

By: Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press Posted: 4:08 PM CDT Tuesday, Apr. 22, 2025 Last Modified: 9:02 PM CDT Tuesday, Apr. 22, 2025

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Real Salt Lake star midfielder Diego Luna, sent off in Saturday's 1-0 loss to visiting Toronto FC, has had the red card rescinded.

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Real Salt Lake star midfielder Diego Luna, sent off in Saturday's 1-0 loss to visiting Toronto FC, has had the red card rescinded.

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 22/04/2025 (543 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Real Salt Lake star midfielder Diego Luna, sent off in Saturday’s 1-0 loss to visiting Toronto FC, has had the red card rescinded.

The Independent Review Panel, consisting of one representative from Canada Soccer, one from the U.S. Soccer Federation, and one independent representative nominated by the Professional Referee Organization, unanimously rescinded the one-game suspension and accompanying fine for the red card issued to Luna.

Salt Lake, trailing 1-0 at the time, lost Luna to a straight red for violent conduct in the 61st minute.

Real Salt Lake midfielder Diego Luna dribbles during the second half of a first-round soccer match of the MLS Cup playoffs against the Minnesota United in St. Paul, Minn., Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt)

Luna and Toronto defender Raoul Petretta got tangled up as they battled for position on a Real Salt Lake corner. Both went down, and Luna was sent off for seemingly kicking out at Petretta as he got up.

The red card survived video review. Petretta received a yellow card for his part.

Luna did not escape a separate fine, of an undisclosed amount, “for failing to leave the field in a timely manner.”

Referee Sergii Demianchuk handed out seven yellow cards in addition to the red, with five going to Toronto and two to Salt Lake.

Salt Lake (3-6-0) has lost four of its last five, including a 2-1 decision at Nashville SC the previous week after conceding a 91st-minute penalty.

“I think the last two weeks we’ve been battling more than just the players on the field, it feels like,” Real Salt Lake coach Pablo Mastroeni said after the Toronto loss. “Those calls haven’t been going our way.”

Luna is now eligible to play in Salt Lake’s game Saturday against San Diego FC.

Each MLS club is entitled to two unsuccessful appeals per season, including the playoffs. Since Real Salt Lake’s appeal was successful, the club retains its two appeals.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 22, 2025.