Wayne Rooney said he had no complaints after receiving a red card following a VAR review in DC United's heavy Major League Soccer (MLS) defeat to in-form Los Angeles FC on Saturday.
England's record goal-scorer started the fixture at Audi Field and in the 50th minute, with the hosts already trailing 3-0 en route to their first league defeat of the season, produced a reckless, studs-up challenge on LA midfielder and early MVP favourite Diego Rossi.
DC captain Rooney was initially shown only a yellow card by referee Robert Sibiga, but that was swiftly upgraded to the seventh red of his career for club and country after quick intervention from the VAR.
Speaking after the match - which Ben Olsen's side lost 4-0 thanks to a Rossi hat-trick and early effort from former Arsenal forward Carlos Vela - the 33-year-old admitted that he deserved to be sent off and could not dispute the process, though insisted there was no malice intended.
"I have no arguments," he said. "It wasn't malicious, I didn't try to hurt him.
"But obviously I caught him. I was expecting (a red card) really when the referee gave me the yellow. It's the right call."
It was a first dismissal of his stateside career for Rooney, who left Everton for DC United in June 2018.
He has yet to miss a single match since arriving in the US, but will be suspended for Tuesday's visit of the Montreal Impact.
