Mexico Player Red-Carded After Slapping USMNT's Sebastian Berhalter
A heated moment occurred during the USMNT's 3-0 friendly victory over Mexico, resulting in a red card for Mateo Chavez.
During a friendly match on Saturday, Mexico's Mateo Chavez was ejected after delivering a double slap to the face of U.S. Men's National Team player Sebastian Berhalter. The incident occurred midway through the second half of the eventual 3-0 U.S. victory at State Farm Stadium in Arizona.
Chavez was issued a red card after the altercation, which began when he fouled Yunus Musah. Berhalter, son of former coach Gregg Berhalter, confronted Chavez and shoved him. In response, Chavez struck Berhalter with both hands. Berhalter appeared to react to the blows by grabbing his cheek and falling to the ground. The referee immediately issued Chavez a red card, and he was removed from the game after approximately 20 minutes of play.
The confrontation led to a stoppage in play, with U.S. head coach Mauricio Pochettino and his staff entering the field to help separate the players. Alex Freeman of the U.S. team was also seen shoving Chavez away.
The match saw the U.S. secure a 3-0 win with goals from Julian Hall, Cavan Sullivan, and Malik Tillman. Sullivan's goal, scored from outside the box after intercepting a pass from Mexico's goalkeeper Raul Rangel, marked his first with the USMNT and made him the youngest goal-scorer in the program's history at 17 years old.
Following the match, Pochettino, who recently signed an extension with U.S. Soccer, continues to rebuild the team. The USMNT is preparing for their next match against Canada on Tuesday.