Blanco given two-year suspension

The United States Soccer Federation have suspended Chicago Fire midfielder Cuauhtemoc Blanco from all U.S. Open Cup matches for two years.

The suspension, which almost certainly signals an end top Blanco's participation in the oldest soccer tournament in America, was due to Blanco's actions in an Open Cup match versus DC United on July 8th. Blanco was ejected for shoving a United player and then head-butted a DC United official who told him to leave the pitch.

The USSF ruling calls for at least a six match ban, so if Chicago plays fewer Cup matches over the next two years the ban could extend into 2011.

Since the Open Cup is a USSF sponsored event, Major League Soccer reps said they would wait for the soccer body's ruling before deciding whether or not to add additional league punishment for the incident.