Clint Dempsey will miss the Seattle Sounders' opening playoff game as the club has no plans to appeal the red card the forward earned on Sunday, a league source has told ESPN FC.
Dempsey was sent off midway through the first half of Sunday's win over the Colorado Rapids after his elbow connected with the head of Mike da Fonte.
The red card was only shown after a video review, and after the decision, Dempsey sarcastically applauded Da Fonte and got in the defender's face.
As a result of the dismissal, Dempsey will be automatically suspended for the first leg of the Sounders' Western Conference semifinal.
Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer said after the match that he did not want the Dempsey incident to further "derail" the Sounders' playoff hopes.
"Obviously I want the team to play with control of their emotions. That is a paramount. Because in critical moments, you need to have a clear mind and you need to make sure you're making good plays," the coach said.
"So I will watch the tape, I will sit down with Clint and figure out his version of it and we will proceed.
"Because I'm not allowing one play to derail what we can accomplish. That won't happen. That I can guarantee you."
The Sounders are already thin up front with Jordan Morris sidelined by a hamstring strain. The 22-year-old has been out for six weeks and is in a fitness race to return for the playoffs.
ESPN FC's Jeff Carlisle contributed to this report.