At age 29 and with 10 seasons in MLS, Minnesota United captain and defensive midfielder Wil Trapp is one of his team's most experienced and affable players.
And yet he entered Saturday's home game against Colorado knowing that one more yellow card assigned will earn him a one-game suspension.
Trapp received yellow cards in the first 10 minutes of three games before Saturday, and in the 39th minute of another.
That put him in the position knowing suspension looms with another.
He was removed from last Sunday's 1-0 loss at Austin FC in the 68th minute to protect him from getting that next yellow card. He had received one in the 10th minute for a hard, late tackle.
"That one is where I need to be smart and just not make the challenge," Trapp said, "because, especially early in the game, it makes the game tricky as the game goes on."
That tackle last week was his 38th career yellow card, this time he stepped on Austin FC defender Ruben Gabrielsen's foot.
"You can't go into a game like that, certainly in the area of the field where he plays," coach Adrian Heath said. "It's a combative area of the field. That's why you get so many yellow cards. He's just got to play his normal game. I think he has had four of them in the first half, which is no good for you because you're walking a tightrope the way the game is played now."
