HOUSTON — Houston Dynamo forward Brian Ching, a Kamehameha Schools graduate from Hale'iwa, has been fined $500 by Major League Soccer for criticizing the officiating in a recent game through his Twitter account.

Ching didn't play in Houston's 2-1 loss at Seattle on Saturday because he was playing for the United States later that night in a Gold Cup match in Foxborough, Mass. Ching watched the Dynamo on television.

Houston led 1-0 when Seattle's Fredy Montero fired a shot in the 32nd minute. Dynamo defender Mike Chabala kicked the ball away near the goal line, but linesman Emiliano Monje said the ball crossed the line and awarded the goal, tying the game at 1-1.

"Ref in Seattle just cheated the Dynamo," Ching tweeted. "What a joke. Not even close. Ref is a cheat."

Ching later tweeted an apology.

"I apologize for the comment which I made in the heat of the moment," Ching wrote. "Everyone tries their best and mistakes happen."

Ching, 31, is Houston's all-time leading scorer and was named the Most Valuable Player of the 2006 MLS Cup.