2023-06-16 11:39:24
Weston Mckennie (Juventus), the jersey torn with the United States against Mexico. LOUIS GRASSE / AFP
On the sidelines of the United States’ victory against Mexico (3-0), many fights broke out.
Hell in Paradise. In the district of Las Vegas, at the Allegiant Stadium (of the Las Vegas Raiders in the NFL) the semi-final of the CONCACAF Nations League between the United States and Mexico turned into a disaster on the night of Thursday to Friday, too of course, off the pitch. On the lawn, it was the Americans led by Christian Pulisic who won 3-0 quite clearly. The Chelsea striker scored twice (37th and 46th) before a third goal signed Pepi (79th).
Beginning of hostilities after 69 minutes
Almost twenty minutes from the end of the game, Mexican defender César montes (Espanyol Barcelona) expressed his frustration with a dangerous kick on the leg of Folarin Balogun, who was making his debut with the American selection. A gesture which earned him a red card and which above all led to a general fight between the two teams, projectile throwing from the bench and the stands did not help the situation and Juventus midfielder Weston Mckennie saw his jersey being torn by a Mexican player. Two minutes later, it was the middle of Juve who had to leave his partners at 10, against 10 Mexicans.
But the animosity on the pitch didn’t stop there. In the 86th minute, on a harmless ball near the corner post in the Aztec defense, a new scuffle emerged highlighting the Mexican Gerardo Ortega (Genk) and the American Serginho Dest (AC Milan). The two players who hung on seriously after a provocation from the first city which led to the exclusion of the two players. Result of the races, four expulsions and a match that turned into a disaster.
Mayhem in the stands too
The unfortunate spectacle between the two teams reverberated in the stands of the Allegiant Stadium. Fights broke out between Mexican supporters directly.
The Mexican football team could be subject to sanctions after their supporters sang a homophobic chant. Fans shouted “I think– a homophobic slur – when USA goalkeeper Matt Turner cleared the ball and the game was briefly stopped while warnings were given to fans. The insult “I thinkmeans male prostitute, but in Mexico it roughly translates to “queerand is widely used to insult a person’s masculinity.
The Mexican federation impacted
The chant has long been a problem for the Mexican Football Federation, which has been repeatedly fined and has urged fans to end the practice. CONCACAF issued a statement after the game, explaining that it “strongly condemned» what she called «discriminatory songs». «The chants heard during the game led to the activation of the anti-discrimination protocol by the match officials. In addition, security personnel expelled several fans for unacceptable behavior in the stadium.“Said the confederation that governs football in North America, Central America and the Caribbean.
«These incidents were hugely disappointing and tarnished what should have been a positive opportunity to showcase high quality football in our region.“, adds the press release. The multiple fines imposed on Mexico amount to more than 650,000 dollars (around 593,000 euros) and the country was forced to play at home without its supporters against Jamaica in September 2021.
The Mexican Federation has implemented an online ticket registration system and QR codes for spectators at its home games to identify and ban any violators and deter the use of chanting. Mexico will co-host the 2026 World Cup with the United States and Canada. Last year, Yon de Luisa, then president of the federation, warned that organizing rights risked being lost because of this homophobic chanting.
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