US soccer team beats up Mexico during Grudge Match in Las Vegas

Hard fouls and a homophobic chant

The game was ugly on the pitch – four red cards, shoving, a ripped jersey, a bloody nose – and beyond. The referee Iván Barton ended the game in the eighth minute of added time, instead of playing the full 12 minutes that had been announced, due to a second homophobic chant from the crowd.

The Mexican Football Federation, its players and officials from Concacaf, the Football Confederation for North and Central America and the Caribbean, have made significant efforts over the years to encourage fans to stop shouting homophobic slurs during matches. Mexico has been fined more than a dozen times in a failed attempt to stamp out homophobic abuse, a hallmark of games in Central and South America. A few years ago, Mexico even enlisted its star players to try and convince fans to stop using it.

But when Mexico, who struggled in last year’s World Cup, played poorly again, fans grew increasingly restless and chanted the word during a controversial second half. Barton stopped playing for the first time in the 90th minute amid the chanting, and Concacaf public service announcements were displayed throughout the stadium, encouraging fans to stop. When it happened again minutes later, he followed the protocol of the tournament organizers and blew the final whistle to end the lopsided game.

“I want to be very clear,” said US interim coach BJ Callaghan told reporters after that, “it has no place in the game.”

What’s next?

The United States will play against Canada in the final in Las Vegas on Sunday evening. Canada defeated Panama 2-0 in the other semi-final on Thursday with goals from Jonathan David and Alphonso Davies.

But because of the red cards from the game against Mexico, the United States will face Canada, which emerged as the best team in North and Central America in last year’s World Cup qualifying, without two key players after midfielder Weston McKennie and defender Sergiño Dest were sent off for shoving Mexican players during awkward moments.

In the 70th minute, Folarin Balogun, a talented young striker who made his American debut after choosing England and Nigeria, stole the ball from César Montes, who then kicked Balogun from behind to the ground. Montes immediately received a red card, but players from both teams started pushing each other.