Sounders defender Sleeth bitten, retaliates and is suspended

The shock factor landed just south of Mike Tyson biting off part of Evander Holyfield's ear on June 28, 1997.

Another bizarre biting moment in sports took place when tempers flared during the 50th minute of the Seattle Sounders' 1-0 win over the Rochester Raging Rhinos in Tuesday's United Soccer Leagues (USL) First Division match.

Sounders defender Billy Sleeth fouled Rochester defender Billy Sedgewick just outside the penalty area in the 50th minute. After the two players got tangled up on the turf, Sedgewick drew blood by biting Sleeth's left calf, according to Sleeth.

Sleeth reflexively kicked Sedgewick in the ribs and stomach. Both players received red-card ejections, which carry automatic one-game suspensions, so Sleeth will sit out tonight's home game against Vancouver. He will be back for tomorrow's game at Vancouver.

No one from the Raging Rhinos franchise has admitted that Sedgewick bit Sleeth.

"I wish this never happened," said Sleeth, who had blood and what appeared to be teeth marks on his leg after the match. "I wish I didn't react that way. It was just a reaction. I didn't know what happened at the time. I'm just concerned about my suspension. I really could care less if he got suspended for a long time.

"But I know he bit me. I could feel it."

After the match at Qwest Field, Seattle coach Brian Schmetzer was angry about the incident. Schmetzer ordered various team officials to take photos of the marks on Sleeth's leg to send to the league for review. Possible fines and further suspensions are expected to be announced on Tuesday, according to a league official.

"I've been in the game 25 years and never seen anything like it," Schmetzer said. "What happened to Mike Tyson? He was suspended a year and not allowed a title fight for a year.

"It's a black eye on our sport. You've got to figure if an elbow, forearm or punch to the head is a three-game suspension, that you've got to take serious action on something like this. I'd say 10 games.

"We don't want to be barbarians. We want to be soccer players."

Schmetzer contends Sleeth kicked Sedgewick in self-defense and surprise and shouldn't be suspended more than one game.

"If they try and give a three-game suspension for Billy, I'll go through the roof," Schmetzer said.

Raging Rhinos coach Laurie Calloway, who watched the match from the press box because of a suspension, defended Sedgewick.

"Sedgewick was sent off for nothing," Calloway, who coached the original Sounders in 1983, said Tuesday.

Rochester general manager Chris Economides hadn't seen video of the incident as of Thursday.

"Billy Sedgewick is the last player I'd expect being accused of something like that," Economides said. "I haven't spoken to Billy about it. And when I heard about it after the game, it was so ludicrous, I quite honestly thought it was a joke."

Attempts to reach Sedgewick were unsuccessful.

Notes

• Sounders veteran MF Andrew Gregor, who broke his right foot in an April 25 exhibition with the Under-20 U.S. National team, no longer needs crutches. Schmetzer predicted that the 29-year-old Gregor is about 3 weeks away.

• Seattle defender Zach Scott is listed as day-to-day with an ankle injury suffered in a 2-1 win at Virginia Beach on June 4.

• Seattle travels to Vancouver's Swangard Stadium tomorrow for a 7 p.m. game.

• The Sounders received a first-round bye in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup tournament and face the Salinas Valley Samba of U.S. Adult Soccer Association (USASA) Wednesday at Starfire Sports Complex at 7:30 p.m.