LA Galaxy defender Nigel De Jong said he didn't mean to injure Portland Timbers' midfielder Darlington Nagbe in Sunday's controversial tackle, one labelled as sickening by Stuart Holden, another former victim of a De Jong challenge.
Nagbe had to leave the pitch in a wheelchair after he could not put weight on his left leg following De Jong's challenge in the 73rd minute.
De Jong only received a yellow card for the tackle from referee Allen Chapman, and afterward the Galaxy were able to find an equalizing goal to salvage a 1-1 draw.
The former Manchester City and AC Milan star said he spoke to Nagbe after the game.
"It was a ball that came my way. It was 50-50 and normally I always have those balls. But I went over the ball and caught the ball a little bit and caught most of his ankle," De Jong said.
"It was a pity; it was never my intention to hurt him. He's a good kid, as well, and I said that after the game, as well, to him. It's a pity, but that's football, as well.
"It was never my intention, and when a ball comes in that situation, you always go for it 100 percent. Unfortunately, I caught him."
De Jong, has a long history of tackles that have injured opponents. In 2010, he broke the leg of the United States' Holden in a friendly.
Speaking as a commentator on Fox after the game, Holden said De Jong was sure to receive further punishment from the MLS Disciplinary Committee this week.
"It's almost fate, wasn't it, that this was going to happen. Nigel and I actually had an opportunity [to talk] before the game, and full disclosure, he sought me out and made an apology for this challenge," Holden said. "As you can see there, I had a grade-2 MCL sprain and a broken right fibula which almost put me out of the World Cup in 2010. Now I did rehab and get back, and I felt that that was a nasty challenge.
"And I also felt that the one today, on Darlington Nagbe, he comes over the ball. I came away from it feeling... He talked about being in a dark period in that part of his career. About the media was on his back. He was under a lot of pressure on the field and was making challenges. In my book, it's no excuse for breaking legs. It's no excuse for bad challenges. But I walked away from that feeling good.
"And I'm sitting here and now I'm seeing this challenge first-hand on Darlington Nagbe, and it makes me feel sick. Because I know what Darlington Nagbe is going through. We saw him sitting there. He had the towel over his head. We saw his body mannerism and that's a man that knows he's done something serious. I don't want to speculate what it is, but I know it's not good.
"And De Jong did go over and apologize, but there is absolutely no excuse for that type of challenge. We don't need it in the game. It's horrific. It's horrible. And he's going to get retroactive punishment."
The Timbers have yet to provide an update on Nagbe's status as they await test results on his left ankle. Sports Illustrated reported that X-rays were negative.
Portland coach Celeb Porter and defender Jermaine Taylor called on the league to take action.
"This is one in particular that you look back at," Porter said. "I understand that there's a message that referees want to send -- well, we better start sending it, then. Because they didn't send it today with some of the tackles that were in that game.
"So when are we sending it? Just some games? And that's the big thing. It's like, if we're going to have an initiative to send a message on tough tackles, well then let's do it. Let's do it every game. Not some games."
Taylor said the referee had lost control of the game before the incident in question.
"It was pretty bad I think they got some repeated fouls that the referee didn't take full control of, in terms of managing the game, and that's one of the things leading up to the foul on Darlington Nagbe.
"There had been some reckless tackles on the pitch -- if they had cautioned a couple of guys earlier, I mean, that would've set the tone and calmed the game and settled the game, preventing Nagbe from even getting the injury. So it's just, I think, from the referee's standpoint, bad officiating and controlling the game."
The tackle also sparked a brief Twitter feud between the two clubs.