Doping Comes to MLS

Wow, what a day. First match-fixing in England and now substance abuse in MLS. No, seriously.

Seems two New York Red Bulls players – keeper Jon Conway and defender Jeff Parke – have tested positive for androstatriendione (ATD) and boldenone metabolites. Both substances are on the MLS banned list, and both players have been fined 10% of their annual salary and banned for 10 games, effective immediately, and just in time for playoffs too.

According to an MLS release, posted by Steven Goff at Soccer Insider:

The players purchased and ingested an over-the-counter nutritional supplement containing ATD, a substance that metabolizes into boldenone. Both ATD and boldenone are banned substances under MLS’s SABH policy. The supplement was purchased from a vitamin store that is part of a national chain. “MLS has one of the strictest drug policies in professional sports and holds its athletes both responsible and accountable for what they put into their bodies,” [MLS chief commish Don] Garber said. “This is an important statement as to the high standards to which we hold our players.”

With that line about the players buying the substances at a vitamin store, the league is clearly keen to stress that this isn’t Barry Bonds territory and no one’s shooting up in the locker room.

But it’s still good to see the league taking swift action, and hopefully making sure that the reputation of Major League Soccer isn’t dragged down into the gutter Major League Baseball just as it’s getting started.

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Category: MLS