How long is Tim Weah suspended? Why red card at Copa America also applies to Nations League match USMNT

In their bid to qualify for a spot in the knockout stages of the 2024 Copa América, the United States made things a lot more difficult for themselves by inflicting injuries on themselves.

An early red card for Tim Weah less than 20 minutes into the group stage match against Panama put the United States in a dire situation and ensured their tournament was ruined much earlier than expected.

The American winger was sent off for violent conduct, leading to a defeat by Panama and eventual elimination from the group stage. Now Weah not only found himself suspended for the Copa America group stage finals, but will also miss a game.

Sporting News has everything you need to know about how long the 24-year-old forward will be suspended and what implications it could have for the USMNT going forward.

MORE: Recap of the US national team’s painful defeat to Panama that saw Tim Weah sent off early

How long is Tim Weah suspended?

As a result of his red card against Panama, Tim Weah was automatically suspended for one match, according to the official rules and regulations of the Copa America. However, he was given an additional match by the CONMEBOL Disciplinary Committee for the violent and unsportsmanlike nature of his dismissal.

This meant he would miss the final group stage match against Uruguay, plus a possible quarter-final if the US qualified for that stage.

However, with the US failing to qualify for the knockout stages, Weah was unable to serve his suspension. CONCACAF, in turn, decided to honor the suspension, meaning the Juventus player will have to attend his country’s Nations League quarter-final first leg during the November international break.

Why is Tim Weah suspended for the Nations League quarter-finals?

It can be understandably confusing to see Tim Weah suspended for one match in a CONCACAF competition, while his red card was received in a CONMEBOL tournament. So why is Weah’s suspension carrying over to completely unrelated competitions?

Although not officially codified, this is actually a relatively common practice between friendly federations at club and international level. Out of respect for the disciplinary system of another federation or league, most organizations (such as a national league or continental confederation) will honor suspensions for players who reschedule tournaments that have not been fully served.

This is more commonly seen at club level – for example, a player playing for a Premier League club incurs a suspension for accumulating yellow cards in the last game of the season, but then moves to a Serie A club that summer. Often the player’s new league will honour the previous season’s suspension, and the individual would then be suspended for their first game of the new season in their new league.

Since there are currently no plans for Weah to participate in a future Copa America (and the next chance he gets is not for another four years, which is an unreasonably long time to extend a suspension), CONCACAF has decided to honor Weah’s suspension in the upcoming Nations League round, the next competitive environment the USMNT can play in.

This ensures that Weah serves his full suspension, which he (in theory at least) deserved, but also that the suspension is not unnecessarily long, limiting it to a competition in which he may never participate again.

Why did Tim Weah get a red card against Panama?

American winger Tim Weah was shown a red card in the 18th minute of the Copa America group match against Panama for an unsportsmanlike action without the ball.

With the US in possession in midfield, Weah found himself jostling for position with Panama defender Roderick Miller in the attacking half. The 24-year-old appeared frustrated by the physicality of the game and began throwing it out.

Weah fired two shots at Miller’s head, the second of which connected. Miller went down dramatically and the referee blew his whistle for a foul and gave Weah a yellow card. However, the VAR looked and advised the referee to take another look, and after watching a replay on the pitchside monitor, he decided to send Weah off.

Tim Weah is shown a red card after review for this contact 🟥 photo.twitter.com/phw8bSzdKR

— FOX Football (@FOXSoccer) June 27, 2024

Tim Weah apologizes for red card against Panama

After the match, which the US lost 2-1 to Panama, Tim Weah apologized via his social media account.

“Today I let my team and my country down,” Weah said. “A moment of frustration led to an irreversible consequence, and for that I offer my deepest condolences to my teammates, coaches, family and our fans.

“Looking ahead, I am determined to learn from this experience, not allow any opponent to provoke me, and work to regain the trust and respect of my team and supporters. Whatever happens, I will always fight for my team and my country until the day I am no longer needed or able to do so.”

Two days later, on Saturday, in conversation with FOX reporter Jenny TaftWeah expanded on his situation. “I think I’m being portrayed as a violent person, which I’m not. That really hurts. And then seeing my brothers have to take a different route to reach our main goal, it really hurts.”

Despite his suspension, Weah is allowed to train with the United States team, but he is not allowed to be with the team in the locker room or on the sidelines during the two games for which he is suspended.

Who refereed the USA-Panama match?

The referee for the USA-Panama match was Ivan Barton from El Salvador.

Barton is one of the most experienced referees in North America. He refereed the 2022 CONCACAF Champions League final and has decided to referee three matches at the 2022 World Cup, including England’s 3-0 win over Senegal in the round of 16.

However, Barton has faced criticism in the past for his handling of physical violence, particularly in matches against the United States. He was the source of anger in the semi-finals of the 2022–23 CONCACAF Nations League when the U.S. defeated Mexico 3–0, completely losing control of the match and attempting to make up for it by handing out an excessive number of cards, ultimately resulting in eight yellow cards and three red cards.

He angered many American fans again in the Copa America match against Panama when he sent off Tim Weah in the 18th minute, but failed to book the Panama players for their excessive fouls in an attempt to stop counterattacks, allowing them to commit fouls in transition without further punishment. Early in the second half, he awarded Panama a penalty that was later overturned by VAR review, only fueling the ire of the American fans.