The violence experienced in some Mexican stadiums seems to be spreading to stadiums in the United States when the Mexican National Team plays. Fans are angry with the team, known as “El Tri,” due to their poor results in recent months, and the outrage is escalating. For example, during the Nations League semifinal against the United States, they started with homophobic chants while the Team USA was outplaying the Mexican team on the field.
And now, during the group stage matches of the Gold Cup, the frustration has been growing. Initially, there were no alarming signs during the matches against Honduras and Haiti because, for better or worse, the Mexican team managed to resolve those games with relative ease against teams with a very low level of play. This allowed “El Tri” to advance as the leader of Group B.
However, the defeat this Sunday revealed how fragile the relationship is between the fans and the national team. When things are not going well, boos, homophobic chants, and now even violence in the stands begin.
The Mexican press documented how, in the stands of Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, the infamous chant condemned by FIFA on several occasions resurfaced after Mexico failed to demonstrate anything against a weak Qatar. This led to a local announcement that the game would be stopped due to the chant. However, despite CONCACAF’s complacency, the match was not halted, and fans continued to chant every time the opposing goalkeeper cleared the ball.
Violence in the stands of Levi’s Stadium, injuries, and even a knife
Aquí lo qué pasó después, el de verde acuchilla al número 22 pic.twitter.com/2vtefuAm7u
— Anni Murillo (@murillo_anni) July 3, 2023
Unfortunately, in one section of the stands, a group of fans wearing the green jersey were seen fighting among themselves without stadium security intervening.
Homophobic chants were also reported during the match against Honduras, and skirmishes were reported in various sections of NRG Stadium in Houston: in the stands, suites, and parking lots, with women even participating.
Now, Mexico will play their quarter-final match on Saturday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Hopefully, prudence will prevail, and fans will remember that it is a spectacle and just a soccer game.
The regrettable images of Mexicans fighting among themselves in the stands
In several viral videos, the disturbing brawl at Levi’s Stadium was captured, with the most dramatic moment being when one fan was caught pulling out a knife to attack another. Additionally, after the fight ended, another fan was seen bleeding profusely from his face while receiving medical attention from the stadium’s emergency personnel.
So far, neither CONCACAF nor the Mexican Football Federation (FMF) have made any statements about the incident. However, journalist Davi Faitelson did condemn the events and called for exemplary sanctions against the troublemakers before a tragedy occurs.
TYT Newsroom