KANSAS CITY, Kansas — Tyler Adams He sighed and clasped his palms together as he thought for a moment about how he wanted to approach the subject.
Racism has eclipsed the United States Men’s National Team preparations for a decisive group stage match against Uruguay Monday (9 p.m. on FS1 and the FOX Sports app), which could well be the team’s last game Copa America. And what distracts them is the cruel fact that the American players received hateful messages on what Adams called “toxic” social media after a loss to Panama on Thursday.
“I personally don’t really know where to start on that,” Adams, one of the team’s most respected leaders, said at a news conference Saturday. “It’s normal at this point, it’s normal. I don’t think anyone can play a bad game, let alone a good game, and not have something on social media afterward.”
“I personally don’t even use social media, not for that specific reason, but simply because it’s toxic everywhere, no matter where you look.”
THE US Military National Team was defeated crushingly by Panama, 2-1during the group stage match. The game was lively from the start, but took a different turn when Tim Weah received a red card in the 18th minute and was sent off, forcing the Americans to play with 10 men.
Subsequently, Weah and his teammates, including other black players Chris Richards And Folarin Balogunwere targeted with racist messages on their respective social media accounts. Balogun, who scored the only goal for the United States against Panama, reposted them on his Instagram to show the type of abuse he suffered.
The U.S. Soccer Federation released a statement saying it was “deeply troubled” by the comments directed at its players.
“There is absolutely no place in the game for such hateful and discriminatory behavior,” the statement said. “These actions are not only unacceptable, but also contrary to the values of respect and inclusion that we uphold as an organization.”
The USSF reported the racist abuse to CONMEBOL, the South American tournament organization, which then issued its own statement condemning the behavior and “attitudes of intolerance in any place and on any occasion, especially those hidden behind social media accounts.”
Post-Match Interview: USMNT’s Gregg Berhalter on Loss to Panama
This is not the first racist incident to take place at the Copa America, organized by the UNITED STATESCanadian defender Moses Bombito was targeted after tackling Lionel Messi in a 2-0 defeat against Argentina during the opening match of the tournament. The Canadian Soccer Association issued a statement and said it was in communication with CONCACAF and CONMEBOL on the matter.
“It’s disappointing that players on our team have had to deal with this, Canadian players as well. It’s just unnecessary and unhelpful in the world of football because football brings so many positive moments to everyone,” Adams said. “Everybody loves the game for so many different reasons and the fact that we’ve allowed this to creep into the game is just horrible.”
Brazilian superstar Vinicius Jr.who scored two goals in a 4-1 win over Paraguay Friday, has been a leading voice on this issue. In fact, last year, Brazil adopted the “Vini Jr.” law following the number of abuses that the real Madrid The striker has faced sanctions in Spain. The law, which aims to combat racism in sporting events, requires that the event be interrupted or stopped in the event of a racist act.
Earlier this season, Vini Jr. broke down in tears during a press conference while discussing what it was like to be the subject of such vitriol in stadiums in Spain.
“I’ve been here a long time and I’ve been watching this, and I feel sadder and sadder,” Vini Jr. told reporters last March. “I feel less and less like playing. Every time I complain, I feel worse, but I have to come out here and show my face.”
“I have asked for help from UEFA, FIFA, CONMEBOL, CBF, they can fight against this. The problem that exists in Spain is that racism is not a crime.”
The perpetrators of these attacks were arrested last year in Spain, but that did not solve the problem or prevent future attacks.
USMNT Midfielder Yunus Musah played for Valence in Spain for several years and was on the pitch when fans cheering for his own club launched discriminatory chants against Vinicius during a match against Real Madrid. In April, Weston McKenniewho plays for an Italian club Juventushas been a victim of similar feelings from Lazio fans at a Coppa Italia semi-final match. McKennie, like Musah, is black.
“I think there’s a lot of anger out there,” McKennie recently told FOX Sports. “From my personal experience, I feel like if they really got to know the person that I am, if they really got to know these people individually, then maybe they wouldn’t say the same thing. But obviously, the world is going to be the world, and people are going to be people, and it’s hard to change everybody.”
“But I think, especially with Vinicius Jr. actively protesting and continuing to protest against this – you saw that in Spain they arrested the people who were chasing him and insulting him continuously. I think it’s a step forward in the world of football and in the world in general. If you want to act ignorant, you’re punished for it. I hope the situation continues to improve.”
Laken Litman covers college football, college basketball and soccer for FOX Sports. She has previously written for Sports Illustrated, USA Today and The Indianapolis Star. She is the author of “Strong Like a Woman,” published in spring 2022 to mark the 50th anniversary of Title IX. Follow her on Twitter @LakenLitman.
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