The United States and Mexico, two rivals from North and Central America, have a history of heated encounters. A game that will forever be etched in their rivalry.
The two teams met in the CONCACAF Nations League quarter-finals at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada, on 16 June. The United States won 3-0 to advance to the final.
Christian Pulisic scored a brace and Ricardo Pepi added a late winner as the US defeated Mexico. The victory confirmed their dominance in the head-to-head series since 2000, with 18 wins, eight draws and nine losses.
It wasn’t all smooth sailing. Nine warning cards and four red cards came out of the referee’s pocket. When the final whistle blew, the score was 9-9.
It started with a foul on Mexican player Cesar Montes in the 23rd minute of the second half. He committed a roughing-the-passer foul on Pauline Balogun, kicking her in the leg during a contested play, which resulted in a tangle of excited players from both teams. USA’s Weston McKenney ripped his jersey in the process, exposing his upper body. Montes and McKenney were sent off side by side.
A second maelstrom erupted in the 39th minute of the second half. Players from both teams tangled once again as USA’s Sergino Dest and Mexico’s Herrardo Arteaga got into a fight during a contest. Both players were also sent off. 안전놀이터
The crowd added fuel to the fire, with beer cups and other debris flying from the stands. Yahoo Sports reported that the majority of fans in the stadium were Mexican, and that despair over the outcome of the game led to chaos, with Mexican fans shouting homophobic slurs.
Pulisic said in a post-match interview, “It was a mess. The end was disappointing, it was not worthy of the beautiful game we love, and I wish some people would have behaved a little better.”