Luis Suárez, the next bite

The Leagues Cup has doled out the following punishments for the altercations following the final:

Luis Suarez: 6 games

Sergio Busquets: 2 games

Tomas Aviles: 3 games

Sounders coach Steven Lenhart: 5 games

These suspensions are only for Leagues Cup and will be implemented in next year's tournament

Some in the soccer world, such as former USMNT Tim Howard, have called for additional punishments be handed out by MLS. Since it is possible that Suárez and Busquets' contracts end at the end of the season, they may escape punishments altogether. Failure to act would be a disgrace to the league.

The player's agreement opens up penalties for actions that show the league in a disparaging light. Surely punching players, putting players in headlocks and spitting on security does that. If you take into account the biting incidents and suspensions and the racial slurs and that suspension, it is hard to take the league seriously if they do nothing.

It is also surprising that Maximiliano Falcon has escaped punishment, as he clearly put a Sounders player in a headlock and was choking him until separated by force.

As it is now, Clint Dempsey's suspension was worse for an in-game moment when he lost it and ripped up the official's notebook. I had no problem with his Leagues Cup and MLS suspensions, but one would think a player with Suárez's history, going after the game and getting involved in multiple altercations, including one with a head of security, would be far more severe.

I know the man spat on was a former homicide detective and jokingly commented after he was spat on that he "was waiting for the bite," but the legality of the action is also in question. Since it is after the game, and does not involve a player, spitting on a person (I am ignoring that he stepped on his foot as he tried to back away) is a crime.

For the MLS to ignore these actions is an insult to the soccer community as a whole, as well as the fans for both teams, and it paints the MLS as a less-than-serious league.