There was a chippy ending during Monday’s match between the U.S. U-19 Men’s National Team and Bahrain. While Bahrain was up 3-1 in stoppage time, Pierre da Silva was tripped by a Bahrain player, followed by another one kicking the ball right at his face. Immediately after that incident, U.S. defender John Nelson chased the player who kicked the ball, and it devolved into both teams going at each other from there.
Video of the incident at the end of the USA U19 MNT game against Bahrain. pic.twitter.com/hI9f0VtmUe
— J.R. Eskilson (@JREskilson) August 1, 2016
Interestingly enough, the three men involved in the scuffle were the least active members of that brawl. No. 24 from the Bahrain team, the guy who tripped da Silva, tried to break through into the brawl, but got held back by a teammate. No. 3, the guy who kicked the ball, got shoved by a U.S. player but then came away unharmed, looking at the mess of players on the pitch. Pierre da Silva was the closest to getting in the center of the brawl, but he also didn’t do much. Essentially, the brawl involved people who had nothing to do with that initial three-man episode.
It remains to be seen how U.S. Soccer responds to this incident.
(via Deadspin; h/t Stars and Stripes FC)