The incident occurred in the 28th minute of the 0-0 draw at BBVA Compass Stadium. Boswell kneed Will Bruin in the lower back and received a yellow card. The disciplinary committee reviewed the play and unanimously agreed that Boswell deserved additional punishment.
After the game, Boswell said: “I misread that play. He’s a physical guy. We had some clashes earlier. I misread where he was going on that. I know it felt bad. I’m sure it must have looked bad, but he knows I’m not trying to hurt him and he tells me that I get one of those on him per game, so we kind of made a joke out of it. He’s a hard worker. You can’t let him get in a rhythm, the way he bullies defenders in this league. If I could take it back, I would, but it is what it is.”
Boswell’s suspension leaves United without its two first-choice center backs this weekend. Steve Birnbaum is with the U.S. national team for the final weekend of Copa America Centenario. Kofi Opare has started in Birnbaum’s place for the past month.
With Boswell out, Jalen Robinson is in line to make the first regular season start of his career. The homegrown defender, in his third pro season, played exclusively in the U.S. Open Cup and CONCACAF Champions League — and on loan to the third-tier Arizona United and Richmond Kickers — before making his MLS league debut with a late entrance against Houston on Saturday.
Meantime, attackers Patrick Nyarko and Chris Rolfe remain sidelined by concussions. Nyarko, who was hurt May 20 at Philadelphia, is getting close to returning. Rolfe, out since late April, is feeling better but probably won’t be back for a while.