Mar 26
Mexican Fans Force Halt to Soccer Match with Homophobic Chant
Kilian Melloy READ TIME: 2 MIN.
A homophobic chant by disruptive soccer fans brought this year's CONCACAF Nations League Championship Game to a halt time and time again in a repeat of disgraceful conduct that marred last year's match, ESPN reported.
The match saw the U.S. and Mexican teams in competition.
"Canadian referee Drew Fischer stopped play in the 88th minute of the United States' 2-0 victory in Sunday night's [March 24] final, played before a crowd of 59,471 at AT&T Stadium," ESPN said.
"Play resumed after just over 4 minutes, and Fischer halted it again six minutes into stoppage time," the writeup continued. "Play restarted around 90 seconds later and the match was played until conclusion in the ninth minute of added time."
"It's seemingly become a badge of honor for some Mexico fans, forcing their team's matches to be stopped," LGBTQ+ athletics site OutSports detailed.
"CONCACAF said in a statement many of those fans were removed from the stadium."
OutSports added that a primary target for the homophobic chant was goalie Matt Turner, who is straight. The chant is not intended to claim that any player is gay, however; it is simply a way for soccer fans to harass the other team's players.
Turner has decried the chant in the past, OutSports noted, saying that the chant, which uses an anti-gay slur, "goes against everything we stand for."
Turner was not alone in calling out the chat. The governing body also spoke out, ESPN reported, issuing a statement in which it declared, "CONCACAF condemns the discriminatory chanting."
The statement went on to say, "Security staff in the stadium identified and ejected a significant number of fans, and the referee and match officials activated the FIFA protocol."
Added the statement: "It is extremely disappointing that this matter continues to be an issue at some matches."
However, OutSports noted, "US Soccer and CONCACAF continue in their utter failure to protect Turner, his teammates and fans from the chant. US Soccer's own policy has stated that Mexico should already be banned from American soil. They refuse to follow their own policy."
"For its part, Mexico soccer continues to fight the sanctions levied against it for failing to stop the chant," the site went on to add.
Kilian Melloy serves as EDGE Media Network's Associate Arts Editor and Staff Contributor. His professional memberships include the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, the Boston Online Film Critics Association, The Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association, and the Boston Theater Critics Association's Elliot Norton Awards Committee.
