It was quite an eventful night for the Mexican national team in Honduras on Friday as they lost 2-0 to Honduras in the first competitive round of the Concacaf Nations League quarter-finals. But not only El Tri fell as head coach at the end of the match Javier Aguirre suffered an injury while his head appeared to have been hit with a beer can.
“The FMF unequivocally condemns the acts of violence that took place this evening at the Francisco Morazán Stadium in San Pedro Sula, Honduras. Such behavior has no place in our sport,” the Mexican Football Federation (FMF) said. said in a statement.
“We demand that CONCACAF take immediate and decisive action to address this matter in accordance with regulations. Football should be a party, not a battlefield. We urge all constituents, including institutions, managers, players, fans and the media, to work together to create a safe and respectful environment for all involved.”
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As the game was winding down, a can appeared to hit the Mexican head coach’s head, causing him to spit blood. This could result in a fine for Honduras and a possible stadium ban for the fan who threw it. It’s an unfortunate turn of events for what should have been a good night for Honduras with a historic victory.
After coming off the bench, Celtic man Luis Palma scored a brace to give Honduras a 2-0 win in Concacaf Nations League play, which could send them to the semi-finals. They will have to challenge their 2-0 lead on Tuesday during a trip to Mexico at the Estadio Nemesio Diez in Toluca, Mexico.
“Concacaf strongly condemns the incident and act of violence that occurred after the final whistle of tonight’s Nations League match between the men’s national teams of Honduras and Mexico, in which Mexican head coach Javier Aguirre was struck by a projectile fired from the stands onto the field was thrown out of play,” Concacaf said in a statement.
“The safety of the teams and fans is a priority for Concacaf. This type of violent behavior has no place in football. The incident will now be referred to Concacaf’s disciplinary committee for further investigation and investigation.”
El Tri have struggled since the Copa America but are at least expected to face the United States in the Concacaf Nations League final and anything less would be a disappointment. There is still time to turn this result around with a trip back home to Mexico, but with a two-goal deficit they will want to ensure they get a fast start to the match.