The United States' victory over Mexico in the CONCACAF Nations League was overshadowed by four red cards, ripped shirts, clashes between players, and homophobic chants from the crowd.
USA's win over Mexico, which marked their first three-goal victory in 23 years, was marred by multiple incidents including four red cards, ripped shirts, clashes, and homophobic chants. The match was cut short by the referee due to the repeated chants. Despite the controversy, the United States secured a 3-0 victory, with goals from Christian Pulisic and Ricardo Pepi, earning them a spot in the CONCACAF Nations League final against Canada.
During the heated second half, Weston McKennie and Sergiño Dest from the US and César Montes and Gerardo Arteaga from Mexico were all ejected by referee Iván Barton.
“These are rivalry games. These are derby games. Things like this happen across the world and in no way am I embarrassed,” B.J. Callaghan said after his first game as U.S. interim coach. “It comes from a good place. They care about each other so much in that locker room that they’re standing up for each other. Sometimes does it have an issue where we take a red card? Yeah, but when you know where it comes from, you can accept it and it’s a learning lesson for us.”
The match was interrupted in the 90th minute due to homophobic chants, leading to a temporary halt in play. After the resumption, the referee signalled 12 minutes of stoppage time. However, due to the resumption of the offensive chants, the referee decided to end the match in the eighth minute of added time.
It has become expected that matches between these two teams will be eventful. Christian Pulisic, who was named captain for this game, once again showcased his dominance over El Tri, contributing to the team's success.
While the USMNT celebrated their triumph, there were also negatives to address. Sergino Dest and Weston McKennie were both sent off, although their actions were not entirely to blame given the chaotic nature of the match. Unfortunately, they will be unavailable for the final against Canada.
