Offensive Chants Cause Abrupt Conclusion to US-Mexico Soccer Game in Las Vegas

The international soccer match between the United States and Mexico was abruptly terminated on Thursday night due to continuous homophobic chants emanating from the crowd.

The contentious game saw four players dismissed, with the US team emerging victorious with a 3-0 win, thus securing their position in the upcoming CONCACAF Nations League final against Canada on Sunday.

Christian Pulisic and Ricardo Pepi, who scored two and one goals respectively, contributed to the solid performance. However, the game will be predominantly remembered for its unfortunate circumstances.

The game was temporarily suspended in the 90th minute due to the offensive chants. Although the match resumed with an additional 12 minutes of stoppage time, the recurrence of the chants led Salvadoran referee Iván Barton to call off the match during the eighth extra minute.

Earlier this year, FIFA penalized Mexico with a fine of 100,000 Swiss francs ($108,000) as a result of homophobic chants by fans during two games.

Weston McKennie and Sergiño Dest from the US team, along with César Montes and Gerardo Arteaga from the Mexican side, were ejected by the referee in the intense second half of the game.

Regarding the ejections, B.J. Callaghan, the U.S. interim coach, expressed, “These are rivalry games. These are derby games. Things like this happen across the world and in no way am I embarrassed… 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. It has no place in our value system.”

While Callaghan held the reins temporarily, it was announced that Gregg Berhalter will resume his role as U.S. national team coach, having been cleared from a domestic violence investigation. Berhalter is expected to lead the team through the 2026 World Cup, following the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Following their dismissals, McKennie and Dest are suspended for the final, potentially paving the way for Luca de la Torre and Joe Scally.

Commenting on the situation, Tim Weah said, “It’s definitely a blow… I know the red cards are definitely a bummer, but it happens. Aggressive match tonight.”

Striker Folarin Balogun, who opted to play for the U.S. over England and Nigeria, made his debut in the game, expressing surprise at the intensity of the events.

The U.S. team’s win was secured by goals from Christian Pulisic and Ricardo Pepi, marking the first three-goal victory over Mexico in 23 years. This win extended the U.S. team’s unbeaten streak against Mexico to six games, equaling their previous record from 2011-15.

Despite the unfortunate incident that marred the game, Callaghan believes there were moments both teams could have handled better. He emphasized the need for improvement, suggesting the incident could be a valuable lesson for all involved.

In other notes, Canada claimed a 2-0 victory over Panama in the opener, with goals by Jonathan David and Alphonso Davies.

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More about US-Mexico soccer match

• US-Mexico Soccer Match Incident
• US Soccer Team
• Homophobia in Sports
• FIFA Regulations Against Homophobic Chants
• CONCACAF Nations League
• Mexico National Football Team
• Canada National Football Team
• Gregg Berhalter’s Return
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