Ear flicks, twerking and selfies: Most bizarre MLS yellow cards

When the referee blew the whistle to call a foul as Diego Rossi went down in the vicinity of an incredulous Diego Chara during LAFC’s 4-1 win over the Portland Timbers on Sunday, many quickly sought a replay as the incident happened off the ball. Chara received his second yellow card of the match, and with it, a red.

What just happened?

Something not seen as often on a soccer field as much as it is in elementary schools, Chara flicked Rossi’s ear and was booked. Seriously, check it out if you haven’t already:

It got us thinking … What were some other bizarre yellow cards in MLS history?

Kei Kamara’s dance moves

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After scoring a goal for the New England Revolution, Kei Kamara deciding to let his hips do the talking and received a yellow card for the celebration. 

Dom Dwyer’s selfie

Pssh — you thought Mario Balotelli’s was an innovator by posting a video to Instagram as part of his celebration last weekend. Dom Dwyer used a selfie as part of his celebration long before the Italian, way back in 2014, in fact.

Eric Hassli tries (and fails) to skirt (shirt?) the rules

Credit for the attempted ingenuity, but, it fell short.

Already on a yellow card, Eric Hassli scored a penalty and went to celebrate. He removed his jersey to reveal ~another jersey~  hoping this would absolve him of the yellow card-worthy offense. It did not and Hassli watched the rest of the Vancouver Whitecaps‘ match from the locker room.

Mike Petke: Sealed with a kiss

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Mike Petke isn’t only responsible for creatively controversial moments as a manager. 

In 1999, Petke was a defender for the MetroStars and disagreed with a foul called against him. He responded by sarcastically kissing the ball and lightly tossing it to the referee. In turn, the ref took exception to this, brandishing a yellow card for dissent. It happened to be his second yellow so, like Hassli and Chara, he was sent off in unconventional fashion. 

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