Christian Pulisic’s brutally honest take on red cards
The United States men’s soccer team advanced to the CONCACAF Nations League Final with their 3-0 win over Mexico at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada Thursday night. However, that is not the story emerging from the match.
In the 69th minute, Mexico defender Cesar Montes kicked at USMNT forward Folarin Balogun, leading to a skirmish that saw midfielder Weston McKennie be ejected. McKennie emerged from the sea of players with a torn jersey.
About 15 minutes later in the match, USMNT defender Sergino Dest was ejected with a red card. Mexico midfielder Edson Alvarez tried to dispossess the ball from Dest but kicked near his midsection and then elbowed his shoulder, which led to Dest pushing him and then Mexico substitute Gerardo Arteaga.
The U.S. and Mexican teams finished with nine players each. Dest and McKennie have suspensions and will not play in the Nations League Final Sunday versus Canada. Here is what USMNT midfielder Christian Pulisic, who scored in the 37th and 46th minute in the game, said about the losses of Dest and McKennie Sunday, via ESPN.
“…It was a mess,” Pulisic said.
“But I was a little disappointed in the end. I really wish some of our guys kept their heads a little bit better. It just turned into something that wasn’t this beautiful game. We did enough to show off on the field with our play that we deserve to be winning that game and a dominant performance, and now that all this, this stuff happened, it just takes away from the way we played.”
The match ended in the 89th minute because of an anti-gay chant used by fans in the stadium.
