“They made an avalanche on our entire family, this is a disaster. We had to stand up for our loved ones”
Those were the pleas of defender Jose Maria Gimenez postgame, who witnessed family members of La Celeste, Uruguay players themselves, Colombia fans and organizers scuffle in the stands for more than 10 minutes.
Moments after Colombia closed out a 1-0 victory over Uruguay in the Copa America semifinals in Miami, it all went to chaos. An altercation broke out in the stands that included striker Darwin Nunez, defender Ronald Araujo and others clashing with fans.
Video replays showed that punches were thrown, objects were tossed and people were struck. It was a dangerous and unsettling scene. And one that marred what has been a damn good game.
Colombia showed an incredible amount of heart while down a man, outlasting Uruguay to earn that 1-0 win that sent them to the Copa America final. But what happened post-match certainly dampened what happened during the game.
Nunez, Araujo and a several other players could face ramifications, especially after a brawl that seemed to snowball. A video showed Núñez hitting a fan in Colombia team colors, and according to the Associated Press, it took more than 10 minutes for police to restore order. The public address announcer asked for fans to leave the stadium, but several supporters remained.
About 100 Uruguayan fans and members of the federation staff remained on the field more than 20 minutes after the game, while Colombia fans made their way out to celebrate.
CONMEBOL released a statement after the game saying that it strongly condemns any act of violence that affects the game.
“Our work is based on the conviction that soccer connects and unites us through its positive values,” the organization said. “There is no place for intolerance and violence on and off the field. We invite everyone in the remaining days to pour all of their passion into cheering on their national teams and having an unforgettable party.”
Uruguay coach Marcelo Bielsa told reporters after the match that he was unaware of the incident, initially.
"I thought that the incident ended with some argument on the midfield and when I saw that happening I went to the locker room," he said. "I thought that they were thanking the fans for their support. But then I learned that there were some problems over there unfortunately."
Eventually, the focus will return to soccer, and the upcoming clash between Colombia and Argentina with a trophy on the line. Maybe that match will be good enough to establish itself as the defining moment of this tournament, but perhaps not. That unfortunately will probably be Wednesday night's melee.
It wasn't supposed to be that way, and it didn't have to be. It was a sad night after what had been generally entertaining Copa America.
GOAL takes a look at the winners and losers from Wednesday night, on and off the pitch.