17 June 2023 , 20:59
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USMNT star Weston McKennie rejected a $10,000 donation for his ripped match shirt after he became involved in a mass brawl against Mexico.
The USMNT beat Mexico 3-0 on Thursday night but the game was flooded with chaos from start to finish. The two Concacaf rivals were battling it out to book their place in Sunday's Nations League final against Canada, but tensions boiled over.
McKennie was sent off alongside Cesar Montes after the Mexican dived in dangerously on Folarin Balogun, and his shirt was almost completely ripped off after a bust-up on the field. He was offered $10,000 for the now iconic shirt, but had opted to keep it as a souvenir instead.
Thursday's game ended with just 18 players on the field, as four red cards were dished out during the match. In addition to McKennie and Montes being sent off Sergio Dest and Gerardo Arteaga were also ushered down the tunnel.
It was the most heated rivalry between USA and Mexico for years, and it all sparked into life when the newest member of the USMNT squad was kicked to the ground. The challenge from Montes on Balogun set the tone for the rest of the game, and McKennie upset the Mexican fans as he kissed the badge on his ripped shirt before being sent off.
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The atmosphere became hostile and the referee even ended the game five minutes early as warnings were issued in stadium announcements, as Mexican fans reportedly sung discriminatory chants. But it's the USMNT that progressed to the final with neighbouring rivals Canada awaiting them.
The brawl saw two players issued red cards before another two were later sent off (2023 USSF)Dest and McKennie will be suspended for the game, but Christian Pulisic was on top form to lead them to an easy win. The Chelsea winger scored twice against Mexico and should've had a hat-trick after missing an open goal while the score was still 0-0.
But he made amends, and substitute Ricardo Pepi put the game out of reach for Mexico as he rounded the goalkeeper before scoring with his first touches of the game. The USMNT are heading in the right direction ahead of the 2024 Copa America and the 2026 World Cup, both of which they are hosting.
Gregg Berhalter has been re-hired after his contact expired in January, meaning that he'll have to rekindle his relationship with Gio Reyna. The pair fell out as Berhalter kept him out of the starting line-up during the World Cup, and his parents took aim at the head coach with a series of allegations to US Soccer.
"I'd certainly acknowledge that there's work to do, and Gio is an important player to this team," Berhalter said at a news conference after being re-hired. "He's an extremely talented individual, and I have the obligation and the commitment to coach him like I coach every other player, and I want to get the best out of him.
"We want to get the best out of him, and we know that if we can unlock his talents, he's going to be a game changer for this program. So there's work to do, and part of it is working together with [sporting director] Matt [Crocker] and trying to rebuild a relationship that we know will be important moving forward."