Chicago Fire-Philadelphia Union Playoff Game Temporarily Stopped Due to Homophobic Chant

Bridgeview, Ill. — A rough game on the pitch for the Chicago Fire at SeatGeek was rendered uglier by actions from some fans in the stadium.

The game had to be momentarily stopped twice late in the second half of the match by referee Jon Freemon due to an anti-gay chant emanating primarily from or near the parts of the supporters section behind what was, in the second half, the Philadelphia Union goal.

In addition to the chant, MIR97 Media has received several reports -  which we have not yet been able to verify – about racist language being directed at Philadelphia Union goalkeeper Andre Blake, who is Black.

The chant uses a Spanish-language term that is considered a slur. The slur, whose use in soccer dates to club games in Mexico in 2003 and has been focused on goal kicks, spread to the United States after it was adopted by fans of the Mexican Men’s National Team in subsequent years.

It's usage in the United States increased after the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, where it was audible during broadcasts of El Tri matches. While some have attempted to say that in cultural context, the term is not homophobic, it is considered discriminatory at games in Mexico and strong enforcement there has largely curtailed its use. A number of outlets, including OutSports, have covered why the term is an anti-gay slur for over a decade.

The stoppage of play marks the first time this has happened at a Chicago Fire home game in MLS play this decade, although a previous Leagues Cup game against Club América in 2023 had to be similarly paused. Unlike the 2023 incident, however, the behavior this time seemed to be coming primarily from Fire fans.

The chant was audible leading up to goal kicks by Blake throughout much of the second half but became significantly louder as over the course of the half.

Although the first occurrences received no official response from match or stadium officials, as the chant grew louder, an in-stadium announcement was played informing attendees that derogatory language was not acceptable and could result in the suspension or abandonment of the match.

This began the preliminary process outlined in the FIFA “Three Step Protocol,” which MLS implements as part of its Serious Incident Protocol for In-Match Discriminatory Behavior. Per the protocol, “In the event proactive and reactive announcements prove to be ineffective in stopping an incident.” When Blake’s subsequent two goal kicks were also met with the derogatory chant and in-stadium announcements proved ineffective, Freemon temporarily stopped the match in the 78th minute.

During this stoppage, Fire Head Coach Gregg Berhalter walked to the supporters section, making a personal appeal for the behavior to stop.

The chant was audible on Blake’s goal kick that resumed play afterwards, although Freemon allowed play to continue. The MLS protocol dictates that “if the discriminatory behavior does not cease once the match has restarted,” however, “MLS reserves the right to repeat either Step One or Step Two based on the totality of the circumstances” per their policy.

Ultimately, the match was later stopped for a second time for a short period, but was not suspended for a cool down period as outlined in the second step of the policy.

Following the match, the Chicago Fire posted a statement to team social media and Gregg Berhalter opened his post-game press conference with remarks on the behavior, saying “We're disappointed in the unacceptable chanting that came from a group of supporters at this evening's match. That behavior does not reflect who we are as a club or the values we stand for. The use of derogatory language at our matches is completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated. Chicago Fire FC is committed to fostering an environment where everyone - players, staff, and fans - feel safe and welcome.”

After reading what seemed to be a pre-written statement, Berhalter expanded, saying “I think that it's not who we are, it's not who we've been all year. We want a type of environment where people love coming to the stadium, love celebrating the game of soccer, and that chant has nothing to do with the game of soccer.”

Several Fire fans who attended the game in the supporters section reached by MIR97 Media said that at least a majority of the fans participating in the chant looked unfamiliar and were not frequent attendees of the games, at least, in the Supporters Section.

Dylana Gilliam, a board member of Section 8 Chicago, the Independent Supporters Association, said “These were all people who, as someone in the section every home game, I’d never seen before.” She also noted that two other Section 8 board members went to those chanting to attempt to stop it from recurring through a “friendly conversation,” to no avail.

Multiple accounts to MIR97 Media said the attempts made by at least one other board member were met with further homophobic remarks directed back in response. Gilliam also added that fans present attempted to diffuse the situation to Monterrey Security “as things started to get escalated in an attempt to keep things calm.”

In a statement posted to social media, the Sector Latino supporters group said “Sector Latino condemns the homophobic chant that was heard throughout the stadium tonight. Frustration with the on-field performance is no excuse.”

When subsequently contacted by MIR97 Media, Sector Latino said “The chant's appearance is very disappointing and upsetting, but based on all accounts from [Sector Latino] members and others, it was driven by people who do not normally go to games. This is also backed up by the fact that SL vocally supports at all games and this has not occurred at other games this season.”

Contacted by MIR97 Media, The Red Line Supporters Group said in a statement:

“Tonight was a very disappointing end to the best season that this club has seen in a decade, both on the field and in the supporters end. The chants and actions by some parts of the stadium are abhorrent, and do not represent Red Line SG or Chicago supporters’ culture as a whole. We offer our sincerest thanks to our members and fellow supporters who attempted to maintain the peace in the second half.”

“Red Line SG is committed to maintaining a safe, inclusive space for all who love the beautiful game. To do so, the club and the league need to develop a plan to remove those who violate the community's values from the section immediately. We saw tonight what happens without that plan. Many of our members, as well as other supporters, were not there for the final whistle, having left out of disgust and embarrassment. To those who were present and joined in, or those who defend the actions tonight, you are neither welcome nor wanted in the supporters’ section.”

Moderators of the the Chicago Fire forum on Reddit also released a statement, calling for "accountability," asking for "honest dialogue and real action that rebuild trust and strengthens the culture our city deserves."  The statement included "insights" from the community that showed strong opposition to the behavior shown by those fans.

Of note, the post also states that policies around the group's popular ticket exchange threads – a way for fans to sell or donate tickets to others – will be reviewed in the offseason, "since private resales my bypass official processes and bring individuals into the supporters section who do not shaer its values."

The day after the game, Section 8 Chicago issued an official statement to social media.

Our statement regarding the chant during yesterday’s #cf97 match.

[image or embed]

Calling out the "inadequate and delayed response of Fire staff and PRO referees" which "allowed the chant to continue," the statement from Section 8 Chicago concludes saying to "expect updates regarding their investigation of the offending individuals."

Combined, the statements from the moderators on Reddit and Section 8 hint at some of the issues with both the FIFA Three Step Protocol. In practice, the protocol's use has rarely resulted in cessation of abusive behavior or intolerant language by fans: Early stages of the protocol often have the counterintuitive effect of encouraging those participating in the behavior to be louder, as happened at SeatGeek on Saturday night, while referees are often hesitant to escalate the protocol through the later steps, which are time-consuming, interrupt the flow of the game and, in some cases, can lead to safety concerns, if a large number of unruly fans resist leaving the stadium.

Following violence at a game between Atlas and Querétaro in 2022, Liga MX introduced Fan ID, a leaguewide biometric system that identifies each individual entering the stadium starting with the Clausura 2023 tournament. By combining face images (taken as a selfie) with government ID, the system is combined with in-stadium cameras, the system can positively identify each individual in the stadium, preventing bad actors from hiding under anonymity. When ticketholders enter the stadium, their face is compared to that of the registered ticket holder. Other leagues, however, have been reluctant to ask fans to submit biometric information.

Policies for obtaining tickets in the supporters section, which are typically the least-expensive available – sometimes by a large margin – vary by team. In some cases, resales of those tickets are restricted, while other teams restrict sales to registered supporters through one of several means.

The Fire, however, have made supporters tickets easy to purchase, removing a barrier to entry for a team that is still looking to rebuild a strong supporters culture after years of disappointing results on the pitch combined with a previous front office that inflamed tensions with supporters on multiple occasions.

This post will be updated with new information s it becomes available, including regarding other abusive directed at Blake or other players.