(Reuters) – CONCACAF, the governing body of North, Central America and Caribbean soccer, has denounced the discriminatory homophobic chanting by fans during the Nations League final between the U.S. and Mexico in Arlington, Texas on Sunday.
The U.S. emerged victorious with a 2-0 win, but the match was halted for nearly five minutes in the 88th minute and briefly again in the 96th minute due to the homophobic chants.
“Security personnel at the stadium identified and removed a significant number of fans, and the referee and match officials implemented the FIFA protocol,” stated the governing body in a released statement.
“It is extremely discouraging that this issue persists at some matches, especially given the upcoming two years presenting a huge opportunity to expand the sport in our region.
“We will continue to encourage fans to support their teams in a positive manner and to show respect for the opposition and all individuals involved in the game.”
U.S. manager Gregg Berhalter and players were targeted by objects thrown onto the field while celebrating Gio Reyna’s 63rd-minute goal.
“It was regrettable because we aim for a competitive game and a fantastic atmosphere, but we do not want objects thrown at us,” Berhalter expressed to reporters. “It poses a safety hazard and someone could be injured.”
During last year’s Nations League semi-final between the U.S. and Mexico in Las Vegas, the match was also paused due to discriminatory chants from spectators.
FIFA, the world soccer governing body, fined the Mexican Football Federation (FMF) 100,000 Swiss francs ($111,000) for offensive chants made by Mexican fans during two matches in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
($1 = 0.8976 Swiss francs)
(Reporting by Shifa Jahan in Bengaluru, editing by Ed Osmond)
