At least 80 injured at brawl at soccer match in Colombia

[HURAKAN]

COLOMBIAN CITY OF CALI
At least 80 injured at brawl at football match in Colombia
03/09/2008

Clashes broke out between backers of Deportivo Cali and America de Cali and spread onto the field and around the stadium after America protested referee's decision not to call a penalty kick against Cali.
A football stadium brawl between fans of two hometown rival teams left at least 80 people injured, 10 seriously, in the Colombian city of Cali late on Saturday, a Red Cross official said.

Clashes broke out between backers of Deportivo Cali and America de Cali in the 82nd minute of the match and spread onto the field and around the Pascual Guerrero stadium.

Brawlers lit flares and police fired tear gas to try to control the crowds.

At least 80 people were injured, including three officers who were wounded by members of America's "Red Baron" fan club, the Red Cross said.

Several people who suffered stab wounds and other injuries were treated on the pitch and then taken to a hospital.

A pregnant woman was among the wounded, the Red Cross director told Colombian broadcasters.

"To me it is regrettable what the vandals from the South are doing. They are ruining this event," said Rafael Romero, a fan.

Penalty kick

The violence erupted after America protested referee Wilman Roldan's decision not to call a penalty kick against Cali.

"This is the referee's fault. This is what happens when a referee does not do a good job," said Augusto Figueroa, another fan outside the stadium.

Players traded blows and America coach Diego Edison Umana also got into the fray, punching his Cali counterpart Daniel Carreno.

The chaos led Roldan to whistle an early end to the match, which Deportivo won 1-0 on a goal from defender Freddy Hurtado.
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Violence is everywhere in Colombia. But this is not the first time something like this happens in a soccer match. Argentina has seen a few similar episodes.

[Cryomaniac]

Similar things happen often in South America, and to a lesser extent in Italy and Greece.

[tropicana]

they are passionate about their soccer games in south america.

[Ed Mahmoud]

they are passionate about their soccer games in south america.

I've seen Russian soccer fans on TV attacking Welsh fans, just this week (don't know how many years ago) on Tru-TV, American yuppie parents driving Volvos who sip chardonnay want their kids in futbol because it is European and 'cool', yet in Europe and Latin America, it is the working man's sport. Note 'unsophisticated American football (excluding Philadelphia) rarely has fan problems.


Now, sophisticated Colombians should be watching Juan Pablo Montoya, who has abondoned European F-1 (Juan Pablo won the Daytona 500 of F-1. the Monaco Grand Prix at Monte Carlo) racing for NASCAR. Along with Scottish IRL driver Dario Franchitti, Canadian F-1 champ Jacques Villeneuve and former CART driver and Quebecois Patrick Carpentier.

[Ed Mahmoud]

Not ragging on F-1, of course, as, whereas NASCAR now mandates essentially identical cars, F-1 is all about who can spend the most money. And Lewis Hamilton rocks. My wife is a teacher, and next weekend is the beginning of Spring Break, and I took 2 days off myself to visit my Mom, 'Grandma Nancy', so I'll miss the season opener in Australia.

[RL3AO]

I have a theory on why these problems don't happen in the US.
In most football countries...
1. You have many clubs in the same city, who have intense rivalries (Example: 5 of the 20 Premier League teams play in London)
2. Football is the only sport for most fans (especially in South America and Italy)
3. The relegation and promotion system can cause a lot of intensity for bad teams and their fans late in the season
4. No playoffs. You play everyone once at home and once on the road. Best record wins the championship.

In the US...
1. Rivalry teams are usually not in the same city (Cubs/White Sox, Yankees/Mets ect) are not in the same league or conference.
2. Most American sports fans have many teams in many sports and can accept defeat fairly well (People in Boston were depressed for a few days after the Super Bowl, then they realized the Celtics were in first and the Red Sox start spring training in a few weeks)
3. Without the threat of relegation, the late season games for bad teams are not important to the players or fans.
4. Playoffs. While those late season losses causing you to not finish with the best record are important, they are not the end of the world as you still have the playoffs.

[Ed Mahmoud]

I have a theory on why these problems don't happen in the US.
In most football countries...
1. You have many clubs in the same city, who have intense rivalries (Example: 5 of the 20 Premier League teams play in London)
2. Football is the only sport for most fans (especially in South America and Italy)
3. The relegation and promotion system can cause a lot of intensity for bad teams and their fans late in the season
4. No playoffs. You play everyone once at home and once on the road. Best record wins the championship.

In the US...
1. Rivalry teams are usually not in the same city (Cubs/White Sox, Yankees/Mets ect) are not in the same league or conference.
2. Most American sports fans have many teams in many sports and can accept defeat fairly well (People in Boston were depressed for a few days after the Super Bowl, then they realized the Celtics were in first and the Red Sox start spring training in a few weeks)
3. Without the threat of relegation, the late season games for bad teams are not important to the players or fans.
4. Playoffs. While those late season losses causing you to not finish with the best record are important, they are not the end of the world as you still have the playoffs.

Maybe why the USSR fell....

[brunota2003]

Hmm...It is not the referee's fault, even if it was a blown call. It is the players' and fans' faults for letting that call get blown out of proportion. The referee did not start the fight, they did.

[P.K.]

I have a theory on why these problems don't happen in the US.
In most football countries...
1. You have many clubs in the same city, who have intense rivalries (Example: 5 of the 20 Premier League teams play in London)
2. Football is the only sport for most fans (especially in South America and Italy)
3. The relegation and promotion system can cause a lot of intensity for bad teams and their fans late in the season
4. No playoffs. You play everyone once at home and once on the road. Best record wins the championship.

Actually we do have playoffs at least in England in the Championship, League One, League Two and the Conference to decide the final promotion place.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Football_League_play-offs

Certain clubs have reputations but its far far better than it used to be. I got the impression from a recent tv series on football hooliganism it is far worse in parts of continental Europe and elsewhere.

[RL3AO]

Certain clubs have reputations but its far far better than it used to be. I got the impression from a recent tv series on football hooliganism it is far worse in parts of continental Europe and elsewhere.

Yeah. Things have improved in England. It is much worse in continental Europe (*cough*Serie A*cough*).

[P.K.]

Well would you really want to go and see that defensive rubbish that is Serie A?? Other areas that looked bad included eastern Europe and the Netherlands (where they even have a tunnel to the station in one ground to separate home and away fans for one derby!).

[RL3AO]

Speaking of Netherlands, the police in Eindhoven won't strike on Wednesday allowing the UEFA Cup match against Spurs to be played.