Portland Timbers goalkeeper Jake Gleeson and captain Liam Ridgewell were arrested on Monday night in Lake Oswego, Oregon for driving under the influence of intoxicants. Gleeson faces additional accusations of reckless driving and recklessly endangering another person.
Both players posted bond and were released.
Gleeson, 26, and Ridgewell, 32, will undergo an assessment by MLS's Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health (SABH) Program doctors pursuant to the SABH Policy, according to a league release issued on Tuesday.
The incident came a day after Portland's regular season finale on Sunday in Vancouver, where a loss to the Whitecaps eliminated the defending MLS Cup champion Timbers from the 2016 postseason. Gleeson went the full 90 minutes, while Ridgewell missed the match due to a suspension for yellow card accumulation.
Gleeson concluded his sixth season with the Timbers and his first as a regular starter, taking over for Ghanaian international goalkeeper Adam Kwarasey in April. Signed in June 2014 as a Designated Player, Ridgewell is the Timbers' captain and featured at center back for the club across 22 regular season games in 2016.
"I am profoundly sorry that I let down a community that has graciously supported not only me, but my teammates as well," Gleeson said in a statement released by the Timbers. "I take full responsibility for my behavior and will do whatever is necessary to regain the trust of the Timbers organization, the fans and Major League Soccer."
"My client would like to apologize to the community, the Timbers organization and his family for his recent arrest on the charge of driving under the influence," read a statement by Ridgewell's attorney, Sean J. Riddell. "He understands that he is a role model and looks forward to earning back the trust of the community."
According to the league, "the players will not be eligible to participate in any competition until the SABH assessment is complete, they are cleared for participation by the SABH Program doctors, and Major League Soccer completes its investigation."
Developed in conjunction with the MLS Players Union as part of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with the league, the MLS SABH program helps address substance abuse and behavioral health issues among MLS players through education, treatment and counseling, random drug testing and discipline.
