First incident of fan violence in MLS stadium

as far as I know that is. I remember there being stories of one or two fights outside of MLS stadiums, mostly between DC and NY fans, but I don't think there has ever been a fight inside a stadium during a game. Nobody wants to see hooliganism raise its head in MLS, that certainly would not be good for the health of the league, and hopefully the league can learn from this incident since it looks like it was caused by poor planning and weak security. This incident took place on July 20th during the Chicago Fire vs Pumas UNAM Superliga match.

(Chicago fans in red, Pumas fans in blue. It looks like the Chicago fans are a little outnumbered.)


(below is a report of what happened taken from bigsoccer.com)

njndirish
From what I've read Pumas fans purposely moved next to section 8?
Any truth behind this?

Es Brennt
Yep true. They weren't provided a section to stand, sing, wave flags, so they took their own.

Our sections were being completely throttled. The guest services and security gaurds were completely focusing their efforts on section 8, inspecting tickets and removing people from our mostly empty sections. Meanwhile one section over, there is no ticket checking, there is no security presence. What started out as maybe 10 Pumas fans standing in the front row had grown to hundreds filling the section by the late second half of the match. They were also somehow allowed to bring in hard wooden flagpoles which are never allowed. Section 8 have to enter through their own gate and have everything rigorously inspected by glaring puff chest security guards.

So late in the match there is a mass of drunk and rowdy Pumas fans right next to us, their team is losing and the songs are not even related to the match any more, just a steady stream of taunting and insulting songs directed at Section 8.

What happened next was inevitable given how badly the situation was being handled.

The Pumas fans moved right into our sections and the fists start flying. Once again, after trouble has broken out and there is a "life and safety issue" in progress, Monterrey Security stands at the top, hesitating. They stood there watching as the two groups exchanged blows. Then after a few moments that felt like an eternity, they went down and finally formed a line in the aisle. The fighting stopped, but beers and projectiles were still flying. Monterrey guards got hit with a few beers and some nacho cheese and decided to pull out. They decided they didn't want to get dirty and that it was just OK to let the fans fight each other. The manager guards yelled at their crew to leave the section, "******** all these guys" and "let them fight".

So they did.

Security and guest services left the section and just let two large groups of fans fight each other. I am amazed by that. I am also amazed that the injuries sustained by both sides in the fight weren't more severe. The fighting dragged on and on for about 8 minutes, which in fight time is an eternity. There were some bloodied people on both sides, but damn could it have been worse. Finally security moved back into the section and asked Section 8 leaders to calm Section 8 folks down, it was far too late for that at this point. Incredibly too late, embarrassingly too late, insultingly too late. We did what we could.

Somewhere in the process security declared it was Sector Latino's fault, which is beyond contempt, SL occupies a section all the way at the other goal from S8 this season. They only came over and backed up S8 after Monterrey Security had pissed themselves and abandoned our supporters section.

Security did not hold their line. They did not extract anybody. They made no arrests. They stood idly by while people beat on each other. They stood idly by while Pumas fans threw bottles, swung wooden poles, and used belt buckles as weapons. These are the same tough guys who love to rough up youngster soccer fans over smoke bombs and smuggled beers. Scared out of their minds in the face real crowd violence. A complete and total failure.