Maybe it’s the fact that the men’s U.S. national soccer team can’t stop beating them in their favorite sport, but man, have Mexico fans come to be sore losers in recent years.
It was no different at AT&T Stadium on Sunday night, when the Americans won the CONCACAF Nations League final by a decisive 2-0 margin.
Unfortunately, that result triggered the wrath of frustrated spectators on the losing side in some very ugly ways. Gio Reyna’s goal in the 63rd minute was the insurance the U.S. needed to put the match out of reach, and it also led to some adult beverages and other debris hitting the pitch.
Dos a cero! That’s all I have to say about that.
Except the angry Mexico fans weren’t done. They weren’t content with the mere classlessness of trying to harm the far superior American players with various self-fashioned projectiles. They decided to once again engage in ignorant, discriminatory, homophobic chanting that has been expressly and specifically banned.
For more context, back in 2021 CONCACAF launched an anti-discrimination campaign titled “What’s Wrong is Wrong” to discourage this type of behavior. Seems the message hasn’t gotten through to the ignoramuses in attendance on the losing side for Sunday’s USA-Mexico clash.
And when you get hateful, guess what? You eff around and find out what it’s like to get a face full of American fists at Jerry World in Arlington, Texas.
Won’t be the first or last time I say that I loathe fans who fight at sporting events, but the American retaliation here was justified in my humble opinion. You don’t get to waltz into Jerry World, throw stuff at our players, spew hateful chants, and get away with it. Show maybe an ounce of class next time, Mexico.
Ugh. You’d wish all the discourse around the U.S. men’s team could merely be about the viability of Gregg Berhalter as the long-term manager of the team going into the 2026 World Cup. Winning the Nations League title certainly helps Berhalter’s cause. Until a flurry of three goals past the 90-minute mark in the semifinals against Jamaica, many insisted Berhalter wasn’t the guy for the job. Ex-U.S. player and ESPN analyst Herculez Gomez was chief among them, although he somewhat changed his tune after the Mexico win.
Still a lot of time between now and the World Cup to decide Berhalter’s fate. Too bad Mexico is co-hosting along with the U.S. and Canada, because El Tri’s fans should be cut out of attending matches at this point unless they can clean up their collective act. As Shooter McGavin would say, they’re a disgrace to the game.
This viral reaction sums up the whole situation better than my own words could.
