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expelled, pitched fight and homophobic chants
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expelled, pitched fight and homophobic chants

(CNN) — The United States Men’s National Team edged out Mexico with a 3-0 victory Thursday in front of a crowd of 65,000 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

But that Concacaf Nations League semi-final, marred by rough tackles, shoving and even a torn shirt, ended in the worst possible way.

Between the two teams, they added 13 cards, including 12 in the second half. Two players from each team were sent off.

In the 90th minute, the referee stopped the match for homophobic chants. Twelve minutes of stoppage time were added, but the referee opted to end the game about four minutes early amid discriminating chants from the crowd.

After the game, the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Football, known as Concacaf, released the following statement:

“Concacaf strongly condemns the discriminatory chants of some fans during the 2023 Concacaf Nations League Semi-Final between Mexico and USA.”

“The chants heard during the match generated the activation of the anti-discrimination protocol by the referees. In addition, security personnel expelled several fans for unacceptable behavior in the stadium.”

“These incidents were hugely disappointing and spoiled what should have been a positive opportunity to showcase high quality football in our region.”

“The Confederation is urgently compiling further details and reports from party and security officials and will issue a further statement shortly.”

FIFA has already fined the Mexican Football Federation for the country’s fan chants.

The United States and Mexico, along with Canada, will co-host the FIFA Men’s World Cup in 2026.