Guatemalan and Honduran Soccer Fans Brawl in Streets of Guatemala City After Soccer Match, Police Use Tear Gas

By Rick Martin Aug 21 2022, 22:51 PM EDT

A Concacaf club championship qualifying match between Guatemalan side C.S.D. Municipal and Honduras side F.C. Olimpia ended in a brawl between Guatemalan and Honduran soccer fans. It ended with Guatemala City police intervening and being forced to fire tear gas into the brawling sports fans.

At least seven people were injured in the melee, according to the Associated Press. Guatemala City Police spokesman Edwin Monroy stated that of these seven people injured, five of them were police officers. Monroy also confirmed that arrests have been made, though all of those who were arrested are Honduran fans. So far, six people have already been arrested.

Gunshots Reported Outside the Stadium Where Match Happened

While the majority of those reported injured were police officers, social media posts have shown that one youth was bleeding profusely. There were also other reports that a man was shot outside the Doroteo Guamuch Flores Stadium. Crisis 24 reported that at least one person was sent to the hospital for gunshot wounds.

As the brawl intensified, Guatemala City deployed riot police, who then fired tear gas into the crowd. A heavy security presence was placed in the area around the stadium following the brawl.

In addition, it was reported that the brawl also disrupted traffic around the stadium. There are still fears that fans might still act out, with possible street fights between fans of both teams.

An advisory has been announced to people around the area to plan for transit disruptions around the Doroteo Guamuch Flores Stadium in Guatemala City, and they are also advising people not to wear any clothing associated with either F.C. Olimpia or C.S.D. Municipal.

Honduran Fans Acted Violently After 2 F.C. Olimpia Players Were Given Red Cards

Both teams were trying to qualify for the Concacaf club championship in Guatemala City on Thursday night. It was still the first leg of the 2022 Concacaf League Round of 16, yet the tension was high on both squads.

F.C. Olimpia had a 2-0 lead for much of the match. However, C.S.D. Municipal managed to bounce back little by little when Olimpia player Boniek Garcia was sent off the field with a red card when he cut a pass on an opposing midfielder. A second Olimpia player, Jerry Bengston, also received a red card, cutting down Olimpia to just nine men just before halftime.

C.S.D. Municipal quickly pounced on their now-undermanned opponents with two straight goals. They tied up the score around the 68th minute thanks to a goal by Yasnier Matos, making it 2-2 according to Sensacion Deportiva.

Unfortunately, the match ended with Honduran F.C. Olimpia fans angered and initiating the brawl against Guatemalan C.S.D. Municipal fans, which resulted in the riot police getting called in to try and throw tear gas into the melee.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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