Philadelphia Union defender Kai Wagner has been handed a three-game suspension by Major League Soccer (MLS) after being found guilty of violating the league's on-field anti-discrimination policy, according to an announcement made on Tuesday. The disciplinary action comes after an investigation into allegations of racially abusive behavior towards New England Revolution forward Bobby Wood during a playoff game between the two teams on October 28.

The suspension means that Wagner will be ineligible to participate in Game 2 of the playoff series against New England on November 8, as well as Game 3 on November 12, if it becomes necessary. The Philadelphia Union emerged victorious in Game 1 with a scoreline of 3-1. Depending on the Union's progress in the postseason, Wagner may miss not only the Eastern Conference semifinals but also potentially the Conference finals, depending on the outcome of the ongoing series against the Revs.

In the event that the Philadelphia Union is eliminated from the playoffs before Wagner serves the full suspension, the remaining matches will carry forward into the first game of the next season. Additionally, MLS has mandated that Wagner must participate in league-directed education and training sessions. This process has already begun, and he is expected to comply fully with a program overseen by a league-appointed restorative practices expert.

The allegations against Wagner involve an incident in the 86th minute of Game 1, where he allegedly directed a derogatory German word towards Wood following a foul committed by New England forward Giacomo Vrioni on Philadelphia defender Nathan Harriel. This led to a series of confrontations between players from both teams, resulting in pushing and shoving on the field. Wood, whose heritage includes Japanese and African-American roots, engaged in a verbal argument with Wagner. It is worth noting that Wagner is a native of Germany, and Wood has experience playing in Germany for 14 years and is fluent in the German language.

Sources close to the situation informed ESPN that the potential penalties considered for Wagner varied over the weekend. At times, there were discussions of penalties involving fewer than three games, with some matches possibly deferred. In other instances, more severe suspensions were under consideration. However, these sources spoke anonymously due to a lack of authorization to publicly discuss the disciplinary process.

Ultimately, MLS settled on a three-game suspension for Wagner, which is fewer games than the six-game ban issued to New York Red Bulls forward Dante Vanzeir back in April for racially abusing San Jose Earthquakes forward Jeremy Ebobisse. A source familiar with the league's disciplinary process indicated that a significant factor in the disparity of penalties was Vanzeir initially denying the charges before later admitting to them. In contrast, Wagner promptly acknowledged the allegations against him.

MLS released a statement explaining their decision, stating that it took into account various factors, including Wagner's immediate acceptance of responsibility, his willingness to engage in a restorative practices process to address the harm caused, and his cooperation throughout the league's investigation.

Wagner, 26, is widely expected to depart from the Philadelphia Union at the end of this season due to his contract being in its final year. During his five seasons with the club, he has garnered recognition as an MLS All-Star in 2021 and 2022 and was selected for the MLS Best XI in 2022.