Holy hell, what a wild night this was!
The Copa América final between Argentina and Colombia was already intense as it was, with Sunday night’s contest ultimately being pulled out by the former in a 1-0 victory to claim their 16th championship in tournament history. But that score is nothing compared to what the Miami-Dade Police Department put up.
When the smoke cleared from the chaos that took place prior to the contest at Hard Rock Stadium, authorities saw a whopping 27 arrests and 55 ejections. (RELATED: Luis De La Fuente Is Interested In The USMNT Job, And Can This Pretty Please With A Cherry On Top Happen?: REPORT)
“Last night our law enforcement teams responded swiftly to handle an extremely challenging, dangerous situation posing life safety concerns for attendees,” said Chief Public Safety Officer James Reyes in an official statement, per the New York Post.
Roll the footage:
🚨#BREAKING: Chaos and clashes are breaking out as thousands of soccer fans rush into Hard Rock Stadium without tickets
⁰📌#Miami | #FloridaCurrently, full on chaos and clashes are breaking out as thousands of Colombian fans have breached the gates and rushed past security… pic.twitter.com/nZqQeQXrB2
— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) July 15, 2024
More people getting into the game through… what??? The vent??
What is happening in the Copa America Final? pic.twitter.com/QKgkwEmnCW
— Tactical Manager (@ManagerTactical) July 15, 2024
Fans are still sneaking into Hard Rock Stadium, minutes before kickoff is supposed to start. Via @FavianRenkel.pic.twitter.com/Eoyaj2Ty6b
— Men in Blazers (@MenInBlazers) July 15, 2024
Fans outside with tickets not allowed into stadium. Guy saying “I paid $2000 per ticket” pic.twitter.com/ErTOY34hCL
— Maximiliano Bretos (@MaxBretosSports) July 15, 2024
Absolute madness. A tragedy and an embarrassment pic.twitter.com/j2Lsdoc1LU
— Luis Miguel Echegaray (@lmechegaray) July 15, 2024
It’s like I said in a recent blog …
“This is no different than a Saturday night thriller between Boca Juniors and River Plate in the Superclasico: there’s just a bigger spotlight here because it happened in the United States.”
My point still stands.
