Homophobic Chants End Mexico-US Soccer Match

Confederation, American coach condemn slurs from crowd at Las Vegas game
By Bob Cronin,  Newser Staff
Posted Jun 16, 2023 4:55 PM CDT
Referee Ends Soccer Match as Crowd Yells Homophobic Slurs
Yunus Musah of the US pushes Cesar Montes of Mexico during a match Thursday in Las Vegas.   (AP Photo/John Locher)

The referee twice stopped a soccer match Thursday between Mexico and the US Men's National Team—the second time for good—because of homophobic chants from the crowd. Referee Ivan Barton ended the game at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas during injury time, ESPN reports, after anti-gay chanting resumed when US goalkeeper Matt Turner took a goal kick. Concacaf, the soccer confederation for North America, Central America, and the Caribbean, released a statement afterward saying it "strongly condemns the discriminatory chanting by some fans." The decision to end the match was at the referee's discretion, Concacaf said.

The chanting led officials to activate anti-discrimination protocol, the confederation said. Several fans were ejected, per CNN. "These incidents were extremely disappointing and tarnished what should have been a positive occasion to showcase high quality football in our region," Concacaf said. The organization, along with Mexico’s soccer federation, has been trying for years to get fans to stop the homophobic slurs during games, per the New York Times. Mexico, which once enlisted the help of star players in combating the problem, has been fined for the offense more than a dozen times. "I want to make it very clear," interim US coach BJ Callaghan said after the game, "it has no place in the game." (More gay slurs stories.)

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