April 19 – The USA and Mexico face each other in a friendly tonight in Glendale, Arizona, dubbed the Allstate Intercontinental Clasico. It will be a match that could end up focussing on the performance of the Mexican fans as much as the teams.
USA and Mexico will face each other again in the semi-finals of the Nations League on June 15 in Las Vegas before the Gold Cup kicks off June 24 – the two nations have contested the last two finals in 2019 and 2021.
The uncertainty hanging over the fixtures, as well as Mexico’s other championship matches in the US this summer, is whether Mexican fans will continue with their anti-gay ‘puto’ chant when the opposition goalkeeper takes a goal kick.
It is an issue that both national federations and regional governing body Concacaf are concerned about, not least because it could lead to matches being abandoned.
The US Soccer Federation has confirmed it will adopt the FIFA and Concacaf three-step process of stopping, suspending and eventually abandoning play when such chants occur.
The first step is to warn fans and suspend play for two minutes. If chanting continues the second step is to send the teams to the changing rooms for 10 minutes and to issue another warning. The third step is the abandonment of the match.
The issue with Mexico’s fans is not new. FIFA fined Mexico’s football federation $108,000 for chanting heard at the 2022 World Cup during games against Saudi Arabia and Poland. In 2021 Mexico played a World Cup qualifier against Jamaica behind closed doors.
Mexican Gold Cup games in 2021 were also interrupted as fans refused to stop the chant, though no game was abandoned.
US Soccer said it takes “discriminatory behavior seriously and strictly prohibits any derogatory chant”.
“We are following and will fully enforce policy 521-2 at this and in all future matches. With FMF and SUM, we have worked proactively to prevent any discriminatory chant at our upcoming match by communicating the Fan Code of Conduct to attendees before the event and will continue that communication in-venue. The FIFA three-step process will be implemented, and violations will be addressed,” said a USSF statement.
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