Monday, July 13, 2009
Hooliganism takes a bow in Sandy
Posted By Stephen Dark on July 13, 2009, 9:55 PM
Real Salt Lake’s friendly at
home Saturday night against Mexican top-team Club America saw raucous behavior
both on and off the field. In fact, the match might have heralded Utah’s first incidence
of soccer hooliganism.
RSL’s Argentine maestro
Javier Morales scored the game’s only goal, a beautiful curving chip into the
right hand top of the net in a game that rarely caught fire. It did, however,
showcase a tough-minded and spirited RSL, despite facing a crowd full of loud
Club America fans.
More than 30 of those fans with
trumpets and drums were a highly vocal presence in the southwest end of the
seats. When RSL season tickets holders tried to claim their own seats which the
chanting Club America troops had occupied, Sandy City cops were called into
force the Mexican team’s fans, many of whom had come from LA and Vegas for the
game, out of their corner. Many refused to go. Tempers flared. According to one
America female fan a RSL gringo supporter insulted her with instructions to
fellate him.
After the game rumors of
fights between Latino RSL and America supporters got the police hurrying to
escort leaving fans. One RSL staffer headed back to the stadium clutching
sharpened sticks he said had been used as weapons in a fight. A Club America
supporter, however, said it was “just Latinos arguing. We like to fight.”
RSL president Bill Manning
congratulated some of the Club America fans for their passion. “It’s something
we want to encourage in our own supporters,” he said.
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