Does David Beckham receive preferential treatment from MLS referees? D.C. United defender Marc Burch seems to think so after being red-carded for kicking Beckham from behind Saturday night in L.A. Referee Terry Vaughn interpreted Burch's challenge, which occurred on the touchline, as "violent conduct."

"I swung for the ball and hit the back of his leg," Burch told Steven Goff. "I guess that comes with bringing him to the league." Goff's view of the incident was that "Burch certainly made contact, contributing to Beckham's tumble into a sign board, but it was hardly a malicious tackle."

Beckham, meanwhile, said he had told Vaughn at the time that the red card was too harsh. "The momentum took me over the line and I lost my balance," said the Galaxy midfielder. United coach Tom Soehn was suitably incredulous, and said that when Vaughn showed the card "the Galaxy [coaching] staff looked at me and had no answers. It's just a soft card. It was terrible. We all saw it: it was an absolute travesty."

 

 

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