Fans turn violent before soccer match at Avaya
Rocks, bottles thrown by supporters of two Mexican teams with big Bay Area following
A friendly soccer match between two hugely popular Mexican teams — Club America and Monarcas Morelia — turned ugly on Sunday at Avaya Stadium when fans of the opposing clubs began throwing rocks and bottles at each other before the game, police said.
Just before 3 p.m. — an hour before kickoff — the skirmish broke out, forcing extra police
to the scene.
Police isolated a group of Club America fans that included some of the rock throwers. They were held outside a fence to the west of Avaya, then led to the front of the stadium, where the crowd of about 200 sang, waved banners and set off a yellow smoke signal. They were ultimately allowed to enter the stadium through a side entrance about 40 minutes after the 4 p.m. kickoff.
Some fans said the rock and bottle throwing was more celebratory than adversarial.
“That’s how they show support,” said Alejandra Huerta, of Salinas. “That’s the way they celebrate — by breaking things.”
Though a fence was torn down, police said no major injuries were reported, and no arrests were made. Police monitored the stadium throughout the evening and closely watched fans of both teams after the game ended before 7 p.m. Initial reports did not indicate there were any post-game problems.
“We will be here as a precaution,” said Sgt. Sean Morgan, who was with a dozen officers in front of the stadium after the fans were let in. “It’s always good to be prepared, and with alcohol flowing, there’s always the possibility that there will be problems.”
Huerta said the match is akin to a game between the Oakland Raiders and San Francisco 49ers. The group that she carpooled to Avaya with included fans of both teams.
“If his team wins,” she said of the driver, who supports Club America, “we’ll be walking home.”
Club America won the game 2-0. It was the first game in the team’s “Tour Águila” and was televised on Univision. It was a “friendly” game, which is soccer lingo for an exhibition game that has no effect on the standings.
The team has a strong fan base in the Bay Area, which came out in full force in July 2015 to watch Club America’s 2-1 victory over the Earthquakes.
Monarcas Morelia, which had been to Avaya Stadium twice before, also has a big following in the Bay Area.
“We wish we could see the team play every day,” said Armando Salgado, 32, decked out in Club America gear. “But we wait, maybe see them once a year. But it’s a passion.”