There was definitely a crane-kick in there
What?!
Yesterday in Costa Rica, the Union played a not-so-friendly match (the puns write themselves sometimes) against Belen. And while we normally wouldn’t care about such meaningless soccer matches played on what looks like a high school field, this one is particularly noteworthy since Belen and local officials did their best impression of the Soviet Red Army hockey team by stopping play after things got a bit too heated.
YouTube video, posted on Belen’s WordPress webpage, shows a mild scrum at midfield between Union soldiers (looking regal in blue) and Belen players (looking like pussies in yellow). The video appears under a title that accuses the Union of playing “anti-football," or, as some would call it, soccer. – ducks -
Here is Belen’s official account of what happened, translated for readability and hysterics. We highlighted the fun parts:
Encouraged by his staff and giving an indication that the Fair Play is not your forte, the U.S. team Philadelphia Union kicks and slaps concluded what was intended as a friendly against Bridgestone Bethlehem.
Just halfway through the first half when the team lost 2 invited by zero, an entry "wild" of an American on the wheel led to the brawl Bryan Vega (see video), which in a few seconds literally became a pitched battle. What most annoyed the Belemitas was the attitude of the coaching staff who, from the beginning, did not stop shouting insults not only the players but also Bethlehem referee and his assistants.The scene was so embarrassing that the local leaders decided to suspend the meeting.
"It was an immature attitude of the coach. From the beginning, they just treat us as stupid and officials. The players were dedicated to kicking and elbowing "Said the midfielder Jose Luis Lopez.
Table Heredia, without most of their holders, won the game with goals from Rodolfo Arnaez, of criminal defense and Alejandro Cordero.
Kicks. Slaps. Stupid Costa Ricans. Pitched battles. Elbowing. Awesome.
The Union, who were presumably too enraged to speak following this battle royal, declined comment to Philly.com’s Jonathan Tannenwald.
Video of the melee is after the jump. Caution: VIOLENCE. Not really.
H/T to (@tl1889), via My Sports Rumors and The Brotherly Game
This is why the Union should be in the US playing in pre-season MLS tournaments against the teams they’ll be playing in a week instead of being in a 3rd world country on a field that looks like hell.
Personally, I love this – 16 days til’ the Home Opener.
Well now, THERE’S a real head scratcher. Still, funny stuff. Who’d a thunk the Union would channel their inner Broad Street Bullies. Remarkable!
Soccer = gay sex
Soccer players cant fight…0 punches thrown right there
Can someone put that quote into English please.
@Matt – I’m right there with you.
As for soccer “brawls” they rarely happen. This is a young team with a lot of new faces and this is really nothing more than something positive to bring the team together.
GO U! DOOP!
This is one post too many about Soccer.
That “Doop” shit is so fucking stupid, I hate it that the flyers play it after they score, no wonder why the suck at home
how is it so hard to translate spanish? i would understand if it was mandarin.
Philly style, yo!
I’m not sure what’s worse, that the union was loosing to that team or they had to resort to slapping cause they were losing?
I was a union fan until this offseason, the team is headed down the toilet.
Spurs goin down Sunday dude…no Bale, no Van Der Vaart.
They were frigging slap fighting like 6th grade girls fighting over sitting next to the local cute kid on the school bus. How f%#@ing pathetic.
I’m sure you’re enjoying the automatic translation for its comedic value, but here’s a (possibly) better translation I threw together. My Spanish isn’t great, though, so it’s probably not 100% accurate.
Incited by their technical staff, and demonstrating that fair play isn’t their strong suit, the US team Philadelphia Union ended what was supposed to be a friendly match against Belén Bridgestone with kicks and punches.
Barely half way through the first half, when the invited team was losing 2-0, a “savage” entry by a North American over the midfielder Bryan Vega began the brawl (see video), which in a few seconds literally transformed into a pitched battle. What annoyed the Belén players the most was the attitude of the training staff who, from the beginning of the match, never stopped yelling insults not only at the Belén players, but also at the head referee and his assistants.
“It was an immature attitude from the coach. From the start, they were treating us and the refs like idiots. The players dedicated themselves to kicking and elbowing,” said the midfielder José Luis López.
The team from Heredia, without the majority of its players, won the game with goals by Rodolfo Arnáez, on a penalty kick, and by defenseman Alejandro Cordero.
::yawn::
we get it, you think soccer is gay and shouldn’t exhist.
go watch basketball
Soccer translated to English= Third world ball.
There is just something so inherently disingenuous about rabid soccer fans.
@that guy. One of the first game played on American soil.
Speaking as a 27 year player of the sport, that was nothing. No one picked up their hands to throw a punch.
Case closed.
Just another Central/South American country crying. Crying is what they do best.
Huge crowd in Costa Rica. They don’t watch soccer down there either, apparently.
Just another Central/South American country crying. Crying is what they do best.
union average more fans than the sixers… in a stadium that holds less fans than wells fargo.