MLS hands down penalties to Impact, Dynamo

NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Soccer suspended and fined Montreal Impact players Andres Romero of Argentina and Marco Di Vaio on Friday for violent conduct that endangered Houston opponents in their playoff game Thursday.

Houston won 3-0 to advance to face New York in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Last in the game, Di Vaio and Romero got into a shoving match with several Houston players. Romero appeared to elbow and kick Houston defender Kofi Sarkodie.

Along with an automatic one-game suspension, Di Vaio was suspended two additional games and fined an extra $1,000. He will serve the suspension next season.

Romero, who also received a red card and an automatic one-game suspension for committing an act of violent conduct against an opponent, was suspended an additional two games and fined an additional $250. He also will serve the suspension next year.

Houston coach Dominic Kinnear earned an automatic one-game suspension for leaving his technical area and entering the field of play during the 89th minute. He will not be permitted on the sideline or in the locker room Sunday against New York.

MLS also determined that Houston and Montreal violated the league's mass confrontation policy. After repeated mass confrontation violations this season, the Impact were fined $25,000 and coach Marco Schallibaum was docked $2,500. The Dynamo were fined $5,000.