10 Most Red Carded Players in MLS History [Ranked]

The referee is to soccer what the police are to society: if the rules are broken, the referee has the power to punish. To do this, he has a whole range of options at his disposal. From the simple yellow card, synonymous with a warning, to its red counterpart, feared by all, its scope for action is relatively wide.

This does not, however, prevent those involved in the game from sometimes committing ‘offenses’ and, in so doing, paying the price for their actions. And in MLS, some have, over the years, proved to be habitual offenders.

In this article, GIVEMESPORT draws up a list of the 10 players who have been shown the most red cards during their careers in the elite of North American soccer.

10 Kyle Beckerman

7 red cards

• Clubs: Miami Fusion, Colorado Rapids, Real Salt Lake
• MLS Appearances: 498
• Position: Midfielder

Considering that Kyle Beckerman is the second player with the most appearances in MLS, finding him in this ranking is not a real surprise. That’s why, during the 13 seasons he played with the Miami Fusion, Colorado Rapids and Real Salt Lake, the former defensive midfielder, perceived as one of the best midfielder in league’s history, was forced to return to the locker room early seven times.

However, if we put this total in perspective with the 20 seasons he played in MLS, then it immediately becomes less impressive. But what remains impressive, however, are the 121 yellow cards he collected during his career. An all-time record for the championship.

9 Diego Chara

7 red cards

• Club: Portland Timbers
• MLS Appearances: 399
• Position: Midfielder

Diego Chara is the only active player on this list. At 38, the Colombian midfielder for the Portland Timbers is an experienced player. That didn’t stop him from picking up his seventh red card in the top flight in the 2024 season, which has just ended. A mishap that occurred last April, during his team’s trip to Los Angeles FC.

Cautioned for the first time 20 minutes from the end of the match, the Timbers captain was warned a second time, a few moments later, when Santiago Moreno had just allowed the visitors to equalize. A questionable sense of timing that certainly weighed in the balance when Denis Bouanga finally punished Portland in added time of the match.

8 Tyrone Marshall

7 red cards

• Clubs: Colorado Rapids, Miami Fusion, Los Angeles Galaxy, Toronto FC, Seattle Sounders
• MLS Appearances: 337
• Position: Defender

Tyrone Marshall may be remembered for the numerous trophies he won during his MLS career (two MLS Cups, two Supporters’ Shields and three U.S. Open Cups), but the Jamaican is also remembered for an image that some would certainly like to forget.

In June 2007, as his Los Angeles Galaxy team travelled to FC Dallas, the defender was found guilty of a huge foul on Kenny Cooper, whose leg was instantly broken. It was a gesture that earned Marshall a three-match suspension accompanied by a $1,250 fine. A totally unsuccessful farewell for the man who, a few days later, was traded to Toronto FC.

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7 Nick Garcia

7 red cards

• Clubs: Sporting Kansas City, San Jose Earthquakes, Toronto FC
• MLS Appearances: 296
• Position: Defender

Nick Garcia is in seventh place in our rankings. The defender, who played in MLS during the 2000s, has a total of seven red cards in the league. And it was during his time with Sporting Kansas City, between 2000 and 2007, that he picked up the most – four straight and two for accumulating yellow cards.

And as if fate wished to complete the circle, it was against the same team in June 2010 that he was sent off for the last time in his career. It was a twist of fate that occurred while he was playing for Canadian side Toronto FC that year.

6 Ivan McKinley

7 red cards

• Clubs: Tampa Bay Mutiny, New England Revolution, Miami Fusion, DC United
• MLS Appearances: 174
• Position: Defender

The expression ‘never two without three’ can be applied to many things in life, but not to the number of seasons Ivan McKinley has gone without picking up a red card. The South African defender managed to avoid a red card in his first two years in MLS, but failed to repeat the trick in his third.

To make matters worse, he picked up two of them within two weeks of each other, as if to make up for lost time. What’s more, each of his five other seasons was marked by an expulsion, just to keep the rhythm going. It was a consistency at odds with the rest of his career, when he always had to fight for a starting berth.

5 Je-Vaughn Watson

7 red cards

• Clubs: Houston Dynamo, FC Dallas, New England Revolution
• MLS Appearances: 160
• Position: Midfielder

A former defender with the Houston Dynamo, FC Dallas and then the New England Revolution, Je-Vaughn Watson has also been sent off seven times during his MLS career. And while three of those dismissals were due to an accumulation of fouls, the other four did not require such a long wait.

Among the most memorable was the one he received against the NY Red Bulls in May 2014. In the air, the midfielder, unable to find his balance, placed his foot in… Tim Cahill’s private parts. It was certainly an unfortunate gesture, but one that, more than ten years later, we can only imagine the pain felt by the Australian.

4 Pablo Mastroeni

8 red cards

• Clubs: Miami Fusion, Colorado Rapids, Los Angeles Galaxy
• MLS Appearances: 334
• Position: Midfielder

Pablo Mastroeni has enjoyed a long and glorious career in MLS. A member of the Colorado Rapids team that won the league title in 2010 (and subsequently retired its number 25 shirt as a tribute), the former defensive midfielder also lifted the Supporters’ Shield during his time with the Miami Fusion.

And while the former USA international has been forced to exercise restraint since taking over at Real Salt Lake, it would be hard to argue that this has been the case throughout his career. His eight red cards, most of them for accumulated fouls, are a case in point.

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3 Clint Mathis

9 red cards

• Clubs: Los Angeles Galaxy, New York Red Bulls, Real Salt Lake, Colorado Rapids
• MLS Appearances: 258
• Position: Offensive midfielder

Whether or not it was a glorious distinction, Clint Mathis takes third place on the podium. And unlike many of the players mentioned above, the American had the distinction of playing in a particularly high position on the pitch, oscillating between the roles of attacking midfielder and striker.

A player capable of the best, such as scoring five goals in a single match (yes, five), as well as the worst. His nine red cards (seven of them straight) in MLS are a testament to this, which is obviously a high total for this type of player. A personality with an electric temperament who, in his own way, will undoubtedly have left his mark on fans’ minds.

2 Jamison Olave

10 red cards

• Clubs: Real Salt Lake, New York Red Bulls
• MLS Appearances: 216
• Position: Defender

Mastroeni’s assistant on the Real Salt Lake bench, Jamison Olave is also one of the players to have been sent off the most during his MLS career. On 10 occasions, to be exact. And while some of them, such as the one he received in September 2009 for an uncontrolled tackle against Houston Dynamo, were entirely justified, others are even more controversial.

The first of these was for a foul committed against Steven Lenhart of the San Jose Earthquakes, even though the Colombian appeared to be the one who was fouled. But where is VAR when you need it? Spoiler: it hadn’t been democratised yet.

1 Roger Espinoza

13 red cards

• Club: Sporting Kansas City
• MLS Appearances: 338
• Position: Midfielder

No player in the history of MLS has been shown a red card more than Roger Espinoza. The young retiree, who spent his entire career in North America’s top flight with Sporting Kansas City, picked up no fewer than 13. An impressive total, which some might justify by the number of positions the Honduran played in over the course of his career.

In reality, he has experienced virtually every one of them. A versatility that implies a more or less lengthy adaptation period for a player whose experience should have prevailed, and who today remains the second most capped player in SKC history.

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