Homophobic chants condemned the day after USA-Mexico match

There were supposed to be 12 minutes of stoppage time. That’s what Salvadoran referee Ivan Barton declared as the clock hit 90 minutes during the United States’ 3-0 win against Mexico.

However, as American goalkeeper Matt Turner lined up a goal kick in the eighth minute, a murmur began to rumble throughout Allegiant Stadium. Once Turner launched the ball down the field, a familiar cry echoed throughout the arena as the Mexican fans screamed a derogatory anti-gay Spanish slur.

It was far from the first time the chant had been heard during the match. So Barton blew his whistle, convened the players and called the game four minutes early.

“It has no place in the game,” United States men’s national team interim coach B.J. Callaghan said. “That’s something we’ve stood against before and will continue to stand against.”

The early ending to Thursday night’s rivalry matchup between the USA and Mexico in the CONCACAF Nations League semifinals at Allegiant Stadium prompted an immediate statement from the continental soccer governing body, which condemned the chants in a statement Friday.

“These incidents were extremely disappointing and tarnished what should have been a positive occasion to showcase high quality football in our region,” CONCACAF’s statement said.

CONCACAF also announced several fans were ejected from the stadium by security staff for derogatory chants during the game.

The chant itself is rather simple. Fans wait for an opposing goal kick, then yell the slang word at the other team’s goalkeeper.

The derogatory chant ended the rivalry game between the USA and Mexico early, but it was heard as early as the 13th minute of the match, triggering the first phase of CONCACAF’s anti-discrimination protocol. A warning went up on the Allegiant Stadium jumbotron, announcing further chanting was going to lead to expulsion, game pauses and a possible forfeit by Mexico.

The announcement was met with raucous boos.

Barton initiated the second phase of the anti-discrimination protocol late in the second half. As the match descended into chaos following a combined four red cards and nine yellow cards, the referee paused the game for several minutes because of more discriminatory chanting. The game then ended early due to the referee’s discretion.

Mexico may be faced with further sanctions from CONCACAF over the homophobic chants. FIFA fined the Mexican Football Federation (FMF) and handed down a one-match supporters ban in mid-January due to homophobic chanting at the 2022 World Cup. Mexico was also sanctioned by FIFA after the 2018 World Cup for the same chant.

FMF has taken steps to curb the chant’s usage recently, putting out videos featuring players asking fans to stop and threatening multi-year bans for fans caught doing the chant. However, the chant dates back to the late 1990s, and Thursday was another reminder of its prevalence.

“I think it’s very clear on our side that it has no place in our value system with our team,” Callaghan said.

Contact reporter Andy Yamashita at ayamashita@reviewjournal.com. Follow @ANYamashita on Twitter.