The Portland Timbers will be without their playmaking engine in the midfield as they face Minnesota United on Saturday.
Evander was suspended for one match and fined an undisclosed amount by MLS on Thursday, the league announced, for slapping NYCFC forward Matías Pellegrini in the face near the end of last weekend’s match at Providence Park.
During stoppage time with the match tied 1-1, Evander received a yellow card after he ran up to Pellegrini during a dead ball and reached back to slap him across the face with his left hand. Evander was rushing to set up a free kick for the Timbers when the slap occurred.
After the league’s disciplinary committee reviewed the play, it determined a red card should have been issued to Evander for violent conduct. The committee seeks to determine whether the play was egregious or a repeat behavior, and then decides whether a suspension of one or more matches is warranted. In this case, Evander received a one-match suspension and a fine.
Portland at Minnesota United kicks off at 5:30 p.m. PT on Saturday with a live stream available on the Apple TV app with a subscription to MLS Season Pass.
-- Ryan Clarke, rclarke@oregonian.com, Twitter: @RyanTClarke