The U.S. men’s national team had a rough day, but the team isn’t happy with the behavior that followed from certain fans.
U.S. Soccer released a statement after its disastrous 2-1 loss to Panama in group play of Copa América denouncing a series of online racist comments directed at several of its players, pledging to stand firmly against racism and support its players.
The full statement:
U.S. Soccer is aware of and deeply disturbed by the racist comments made online and directed at several of our Men’s National Team players following tonight’s match.
There is absolutely no place in the game for such hateful and discriminatory behavior. These actions are not only unacceptable but also contrary to the values of respect and inclusivity that we uphold as an organization.
U.S. Soccer stands firmly against racism in all forms and will continue to support our players.
The match started badly, with winger Tim Weah sent off via red card for inexplicably striking the head of Panama defender Roderick Miller and leaving his teammates in a 10-on-11 situation for much of the match.
The team adopted a defensive 5-3-1 formation from there, but fatigue became an issue as the game went on and ultimately resulted in a tie-breaking Panama goal in the 83rd minute, with the defense looking tired.
The loss leaves the U.S. in an unenviable position with only a match against Uruguay remaining in group play. Another loss would leave the Americans needing a Bolivia win over Panama and a triumph through goal differential, while a tie would need Bolivia to at least tie against Panama in order to send the U.S. through to the knockout stage.
