The US vs. Mexico rivalry in soccer is one of the most storied rivalries in international soccer. However, like many rivalries, things got a bit too heated both off and on the field as a fight broke out between players while Mexican fans hurled homophobic slurs at Americans during the CONCACAF Nations League semi-final.

The Associated Press noted that Mexican soccer fans have become infamous for directing homophobic slurs at opposing teams' goalkeepers. This was seen at the World Cup in Qatar, and it reared its ugly head once again at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

FIFA officials have been trying to stamp out these practices, as they often hit fans with not just fines but also getting them banned in stadiums. The organization has also started finishing matches early to punish these fans. This comes as FIFA also battles racism from fans, especially in Europe, where black players like Brazilian Vinicius Jr. were targeted by racist fans in the Spanish Premier League.

The play was halted during the match's 90th minute as Mexico fans shouted homophobic slurs as the US-led 3-0 against their Mexican rivals. The match resumed but was stopped by El Salvadoran referee Ivan Barton after eight minutes of added time after the homophobic chants continued from the Mexican side.

Things got testy between the American and Mexican players during the second half, leading to four players getting ejected. These include Americans Weston McKennie and Sergiño Dest and Mexicans César Montes and Gerardo Arteaga.

The United States won to face Canada in the CONCACAF Nations League semi-final. Captain America himself, Christian Pulisic, led the scoring with two goals.

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US Wins CONCACAF Nations League Championship

While Mexican fans rained down homophobic slurs against Team USA, the Americans got the last laugh because not only did they defeat Mexico, they also won the CONCACAF Nations League Championship in their game after.

The US defeated Canada with a final score of 2-0. The United States was shorthanded coming into the final, as Weston McKennie and Sergiño Dest were still suspended. Yahoo! Sports pointed out that this was a back-to-back North American championship for the Red, White, and Blue.

The US Vs. Mexico Rivalry Goes Back Decades

Before 1990, Mexico's El Tri was the most dominant team in North America. However, as years went by, the United States suddenly got better at soccer and challenged Mexican dominance in the continent.

The Mexican domination was cut short after Team USA won three straight matches against El Tri. First, during a friendly game in California, followed by a match in Washington DC, and then the big one, the Copa America quarterfinal in Uruguay, according to Bleacher Report. This led to the heated rivalry between the two countries we have today, meeting repeatedly in various World Cup tournaments and other competitions.

However, while the rivalry is indeed heated, most of the off-game incidences were instigated by Mexican fans. In 2021, Mexico was fined by FIFA around 60,000 Swiss francs ($65,000) for homophobic chants, and then another 100,000 Swiss francs ($108,000) last January.

FIFA had previously banned Mexican fans from watching international games after the same homophobic slurs were chanted during an Olympic qualifying tournament.

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This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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