Josh Wicks has anger issues

Suddenly, the D.C. United ‘keeper is mean as a snake. And he’s killing his team.

Saturday, he very nearly got into a fist fight in the critical moment of his side’s 1-0 road win at Chicago. Oh, and did I mention it was with his own players? Clinging tenuously to a late lead, Wicks screamed at and shoved United teammate Marc Burch. They had to be separated by teammates, or we would have had a full-fledged "Newcastle" out there. (Two years ago, two players from Newcastle were shown red for going all MMA with each other in an EPL contest.)

But that was just a little appetizer before a true mad moment entre from Wicks. In the second half of Wednesday’s U.S. Open Cup final, Wicks stomped on Seattle forward Fredy Montero. Not just a little love nudge, either. He cranked one out from the bottom of the boot the way I used to stomp on killer roaches back at the low-rent college love nest.

The Sounders’ striker had just scored and was down on the turf behind Wicks. D.C.’s goalkeeper turned as if to gather the ball from the net, but did a little bunny hop and crunched Montero’s hand or side.

Referee Alex Prus, after some prodding and pleading from Seattle players, consulted with his assistants and then showed Wicks the door, leaving United to chase the deficit while playing a man down. (Wicks will surely get a further suspension for failing to leave the field immediately, although it will only affect Open Cup matches. He was all up in Prus’ face, apparently unaware that attempted maiming of a fallen opponent is a no-no according to FIFA laws.)

The Seattle Sounders won, 2-1. The expansion darling's story grows a little more.

And meanwhile, hopefully, somebody went and poured Wicks a big, tall cup of "chill-the-F-out!"

(UPDATE: someone in position to know told me that Wicks was hoping everyone would forget about that strange and ridiculous stunt he pulled in Chicago. Well, congrtulations, sir! I believe you have indeed done something that will make everyone forget about what happened in Chicago! Well played, man.)