A youth tournament featuring talented players from around the world was marred this past week by multiple allegations of racist insults taking place between the teams on the field and off it.
The incidents featured the under-17 teams from two of MLS’s best-known academy systems (the Philadelphia Union and New York Red Bulls), both of which experienced some form of altercation against invited teams from Brazil, Croatia and Mexico.
The story evolved across the weekend. Here’s what you need to know.
What is the Generation Adidas Cup? How is MLS involved?
The Generation Adidas (GA) Cup is a premier youth soccer tournament organized by MLS. It features 80 teams across multiple age groups from 49 clubs, including teams from all 29 MLS academies and clubs from across the world.
Organizers described this year’s edition as having “the most global field in the competition’s 15-year history,” with teams hailing from 15 countries and four continents. Manchester United, Arsenal, River Plate and Flamengo were among the international clubs to join this year, along with CF Monterrey and Hajduk Split.
What happened?
A series of clashes between players took place at the GA Cup as the eight-day tournament entered the championship rounds of play.
The first incident involved New York Red Bulls under-17 goalkeeper Joshua Grant, who alleged he was racially abused by a CF Monterrey player in a game between the sides earlier in the week.
Then, on Thursday, the team said under-17 defender Eric Tai was also allegedly racially abused by a player from Croatian side Hajduk Split. Sources at that game, speaking anonymously to protect relationships, told The Athletic that the referee recognized the racist language and sent the player off in the second instance.
“What has happened these past two games is completely inappropriate and has changed our team forever,” Red Bulls’ under-17s players said in a statement following the clash with Hajduk. “The extreme lack of action taken by the league is unacceptable and has left a feeling of untrust and uncertainty in our safety and wellbeing while playing in this event and our games back home. We hope this situation will bring light to an ongoing problem in the game of football and in our world.”
The Red Bulls then withdrew their academy teams from under-15 and under-17 competitions. The Red Bulls’ under-17s had been eliminated from the tournament in the round of 16 by Hajduk on Thursday, but the under-15 side had advanced to the quarterfinals.
The next incident happened between under-17 teams from the Philadelphia Union and CF Flamengo, one of Brazil’s most well-known clubs.
In a semifinal game, two players from Flamengo earned red cards and an assistant coach was ejected. A league spokesperson said one of the two red cards issued to Flamengo players was for the use of a banned term. There was also a confrontation between the teams after the game, with a video making its way to social media (below).
Things got heated after Philadelphia Union’s U-17s beat Flamengo 2-0 to advance to their 2nd consecutive GA Cup Final
A number of incidents have occurred during this tournament that probably should have been handled more appropriately pic.twitter.com/NeahQljdKx
— Jimmy King (@Jimmyking35) April 7, 2024
Flamengo later released a statement alleging its players were victims of racial insults by Union players, and decided to withdraw from its third-place match.
What action was taken?
Any action taken by the league is either immediate, like a match official issuing a red card during a game, or following a league investigation. Regardless of how punishments were issued, the league declined to identify players involved because they are underage.
After the Red Bulls’ departure from the GA Cup following its matches with Monterrey and Hajduk, MLS Next said it issued suspensions against the offending players. The league said the suspensions followed “three allegations of discriminatory language” used during matches and added that the suspensions were administered under “the MLS Next disciplinary code to the offending individuals for violating safety and wellbeing policy.”
The league also said it provided on-site resources to the affected players and clubs. Red cards were initially issued during the on-field confrontations in the instances where a referee witnessed the discriminatory conduct in question.
In the clash between the Union and Flamengo, two players from Flamengo received red cards, one of which was for use of banned terms, and an assistant coach was ejected from the semifinal match. That later triggered a league investigation, resulting in eventual suspensions of players from both teams. The matter seems far from resolved, though.
In its statement, Flamengo said its players were victims of racial insults. “Racism is a crime and must be harshly punished, wherever it may be,” the club said, adding that MLS is providing support and investigating, while its legal department “has also been working since last night to ensure that appropriate measures are taken.”
MLS said afterward that it had issued suspensions to Union and Flamengo players. MLS was deliberating whether Flamengo should continue playing at the tournament when the team decided to leave the competition, a league spokesperson said.
Has this happened before?
Professional soccer certainly has experienced examples of racist abuse at the highest levels of the game, leading to player outcry and calls for change.
In January, AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan walked off the field after being subjected to racist abuse by Udinese fans during a game in Italy’s Serie A, prompting the match to be suspended briefly. The incident unfolded in real-time, with the 28-year-old signaling to his teammates as Milan prepared to take a goal kick. Maignan later walked off the pitch with his teammates.
More recently, 23-year-old Brazilian superstar Vinícius Júnior broke down in tears in March when talking to the media with his national team as he spoke about the racist abuse he endures while playing in Spain. The Real Madrid forward was subject to abuse on several occasions that have led to investigations, arrests and a new FIFA initiative aimed at tackling racism in the sport.
“If I leave here, I’m going to give the racists what they want,” Vinicius Jr said, of his career in Real Madrid. “I want to stay here, at the best club in the world, so they can continue to see my face. The president (Florentino Perez) supports me, the club supports me… If I leave, it would be a triumph for the racists.”
But the issue is widespread, with other examples in leagues across the globe.
What happens next?
The league said in its statement on Sunday that it was “deeply concerned and upset” about the instances of on-field abuse of players at the GA Cup and hinted at potentially revamping its existing protocols to be more in line with what MLS implements for its first-team competitions.
“This behavior is entirely unacceptable, violates the rules of the competition, and our collective effort to ensure a respectful and inclusive environment for all,” the league said, adding that it has already begun an “extensive review” of existing protocols and training programs for participating clubs, which could include “the adoption of best practices from MLS first-team competitions”.
Those best practices for first-team competitions have themselves been recently updated, following a 2023 MLS season that saw multiple instances of on-field racism, including the New York Red Bulls’ Dante Vanzeir for using a racist remark against the San Jose Earthquakes’ Jeremy Ebobisse (Vanzeir was suspended six games).
New MLS protocol involves in-person seminars presented by two facilitators, many of whom are former MLS players. Facilitators lead a conversation among players on each team (and technical staff in a separate but simultaneous session) about cultural sensitivities and how competitive pressure can lead to outbursts. The facilitators also present a list of words that are not allowed to be said under any circumstances.
The league also instituted a new anti-discrimination policy in conjunction with the MLS Players’ Association. As part of that policy, players who are involved in a “discriminatory incident” will have the opportunity to speak with a trained facilitator and undergo restorative training, while the commissioner retains the authority to meter discipline.
(Top photo: Jeff Swinger-USA TODAY Sports)
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