On October 23rd's Major League Soccer match between Seattle Sounders FC and Sporting Kansas City, during a moment in which the ball was floated up loose in the air, Sounders FC midfielder Cristian Roldan roughly backed into Kansas City's goalkeeper, Tim Melia. Melia, agitated by this obtrusive play, in return wrapped his hands around Roldan and bodyslammed him into the ground, away from the play

Both Cristian Roldan and Tim Melia received yellow cards after this altercation. While Roldan's foul certainly was the correct call in handing out a yellow card for getting in the way of the goalkeeper during a loose ball in the air, the fact that goalkeeper Melia only received a yellow card over the more serious and consequential red card is absurd. Referee Ismail Elfath allowing this bodyslam to occur without producing a red card is also directly defying the International Football Association Board (IFAB) and the rules he adheres to while refereeing. According to Law 12, a player, substitute or substituted player who commits any of the following offences can be sent off for "violent conduct." This was blatantly violent.

Referee Ismail Elfath singlehandedly changed the course of the game—Seattle Sounders FC would have greatly benefitted and possibly taken the lead in the game as a result from Elfath removing Sporting Kansas City's Tim Melia from the game. This reputation of Major League Soccer routinely hiring refereeing incompetence at the beautiful game's highest level should ultimately hold implications for the individuals like Ismail Elfath. This is a call to the governing bodies of the sport, the employer Professional Referee Organization, Major League Soccer, and FIFA to officially revoke Ismail Elfath's license to referee professional soccer matches. Our game will benefit without him.