USA versus Mexico escalated
Referee cancels wild international match
06/16/2023, 10:10 am
Once again there are abusive chants from the fans at a game in Mexico. The game ends prematurely. In the loss against the USA, there is also a lot going on on the soccer field. The focus is on some former Bundesliga professionals.
Thanks to the goals of ex-Dortmund professional Christian Pulisic and Augsburg’s Ricardo Pepi, the US soccer team has reached the final of the CONCACAF Nations League. The 3-0 (1-0) win against Mexico in Las Vegas was overshadowed by four dismissals and homophobic fan chants. The game was ended prematurely by referee Iván Barton in injury time after repeated calls from the Mexican fans. Opponent of the US team is Canada, which also thanks to a goal from Bayern professional Alphonso Davies to the 2-0 (1-0) victory over Panama.
Former Schalke players Weston McKennie and Sergiño Dest for the USA, as well as César Montes and Gerardo Arteaga for Mexico, each had to leave the field with red cards in a turbulent second half. Montes brutally kicked US player Folarin Balogun near the halfway line. Referee Barton from El Salvador, who refereed Germany’s preliminary round match against Japan at the last World Cup, interrupted the game later in the 90th minute because of homophobic chants.
Final whistle after repeated chants
Barton then missed the scheduled 12 minutes, but blew the whistle in the eighth minute of added time as the chants began again and the Mexican fans chanted discriminatory chants at USA goalkeeper Matt Turner. Barton did not stop the game due to the continental federation’s protocol, but acted “at his own discretion”, CONCACAF said.
Mexican fans are known for their homophobic fan chants. The world association FIFA had punished the Central American country more than a dozen times in recent years, including with ghost games. FIFA last investigated in December after Mexico’s elimination from the World Cup in Qatar because of fans’ chants. Pulisic scored in the 37th and 46th minute, Pepi, who had just come on as a substitute, scored the final score in the 79th minute. Pepi was last loaned out to Groningen by FC Augsburg. It was the first win by a US team against Mexico by three goals in 23 years.
Davies scored the second goal for the Canadians in the 69th minute. The Nations League final of the North and Central American association CONCACAF takes place on Sunday.