LAS VEGAS — Four players were ejected and the match was cut short by the referee after repeated homophobic chants by fans Thursday night at Allegiant Stadium.
The United States’ 3-0 victory over Mexico for a spot Sunday in the CONCACAF Nations League final against Canada will be remembered as much for the ugliness as for two goals by Christian Pulisic and one by Ricardo Pepi.
Play was halted in the 90th minute because of homophobic chants. When action resumed, 12 minutes of stoppage time were signaled but resumed chants caused referee Iván Barton to end the match in the eighth minute added minute.
“In terms of the chant, I want to make it very clear first and foremost, for our beliefs and our culture, it has no place in the game,” U.S. interim coach B.J. Callaghan said. “It has no place in our value system.”
Concacaf - the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football - said it “strongly condemns the discriminatory chanting” during the game, the BBC reported.
“Chants heard during the game led to the activation of the anti-discrimination protocol by the match officials. Additionally, security staff ejected several fans for engaging in unacceptable behavior in the stadium,” the organization said, per ESPN.
“These incidents were extremely disappointing and tarnished what should have been a positive occasion to showcase high-quality football in our region.”
FIFA fined Mexico 100,000 Swiss francs ($108,000) in January for anti-gay chants by fans at two games.
In a physical match Thursday, American players Weston McKennie and Sergiño Dest were ejected by Barton along with Mexicans César Montes and Gerardo Arteaga during the testy second half between the North American rivals.
“The boys told me it was going to be intense, but I’m definitely still shocked by the events,” said U.S. striker Folarin Balogun, who at one point was shoved to the field. “I was just on the floor because I was in pain, but when I looked up I just saw so many people around and I knew my teammates were just trying to defend me.”
