Crowd Jeers Eliminated U.S. Team With Chants of 'Osama!'

[KMAN]

You liberals have got to love this!


Crowd Jeers Eliminated U.S. Team With Chants of 'Osama!'

Feb 11, 1:39 PM (ET)


(AP) Mexican head-coach Ricardo Lavolpe celebrates after Mexico scored his 4th goal against the USA...
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GUADALAJARA, Mexico (AP) - The boos nearly drowned out "The Star-Spangled Banner," and a few dozen fans chanted "Osama! Osama!" as the United States was eliminated by Mexico in Olympic men's soccer qualifying.
A loud anti-American crowd hollered as Mexico beat the United States 4-0 Tuesday night in the under-23 tournament, claiming a berth in the Athens Olympics.

As U.S. players left the stadium for their bus, several fans - some clutching beers - chanted "Osama! Osama!" in reference to al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.

Police in riot gear held back the crowd and urged people to calm down.

"I think the fans here in Mexico are terrific; I think their patriotism and support of their team is terrific," U.S. coach Glenn Myernick said. "But unless I missed something, not one of them came down on the field and kicked the ball. We were beaten by a better football team tonight, not by the fans."


For Mexico, the game partly avenged a 2-0 loss to the United States in the second round of the 2002 World Cup, a far more important tournament involving national teams.

The U.S. men will miss the Olympics for the first time since 1980 - when the entire American delegation boycotted the Moscow Games. Mexico also ended the United States' 19-tournament streak of qualifying for every FIFA men's outdoor event, including the World Cup, the Olympics, the World Youth Championship for players under 20 and the Under-17 World Championship.

Mexico is unbeaten 20 consecutive Olympic qualifiers since a 3-0 loss to the United States on April 26, 1992.

While both national television networks broadcast Tuesday's game live in Mexico, there was no television in the United States, where the game was broadcast on closed circuit to about 190 restaurants.

 

[KMAN]

These are the same people you libs want to let into our country.

And you guys wonder why we consider you anti-america.....

KMAN

 

[lander]

I wonder if the Bushies chanted "Osama" during all there corrupt business dealings with the Bin Laden family? Or when they ignored FAA orders regarding US Airspace to fly the Bin Ladens out of Manhattan while Americans were still dying from the Bin Ladens attack on NYC?

 

[D2bets]

Actually I find that to be offensive. Why would you think liberals would love this? After all, it's not the liberals who decided to go after Saddam instead of Osama.

 

[Lt.Dan]

Osama and Saddam are both American creations. The "spooks" needed Saddam to hit Iran. The US did nothing when he used chemical weapons (which they supplied) on his own people. He got greedy and hit Kuwait, then the US spanked him.

Osama bin Laden is another US backed CIA project in progress. We backed his Jihad against our old Cold War opponents, the USSR, in Afghanistan. OBL was our ally. We fostered, encouraged and funded the holy war of the Majahideen. The US (Company) built the network that is OBL's al Qaeda!

 

[TheFunkMonkey]

Absolutely disgusting, and I'm sure the Mexican government will be issuing several apologies over the next couple days.

However, you have to consider the context. It was a sporting event, not a political press-conference. Crazy stuff happens during/after sporting events, even in America. For example, consider the riots (and deaths) that happen when a city wins (or loses) a Super Bowl. Chanting "Osama!" is pathetic, but so is running-over people in your SUV.

Go to a WWE (WWF) event in America, and you'll see 20,000 Americans hurl insults @ the French, Canadians, Mexicans, etc. And don't forget one of the greatest heels of all-time, The Iron Sheik!

 

[WildBill]

These people have never been to a soccer match in Europe. This type of shit happens every week. Go to a match in England and hear all the nice things they say to the players. I mean chanting Osama seems stupid instead of "I f#@#ed your wife Ferdinand!" And those are just the league games. When they bring in a rival from another country...it borders on a war. Think Raiders Black Hole on steroids.

 

[Oceans11]

WildBill is right.

The unwashed masses fill themselves with booze and shout oscenities at each other on a weekly basis, especially when the game is important.
Its 'accepted practice', and might be viewed as 'stress relief'.
Once they leave the stadium, 95%+ become human beings again.

When Israel played Scotland in the World cup qualifiers in the 80's large sections of the crowd sang 'Theres only one Adolf Hitler'.
When Israel played Australia they went a bit further, some Aussie put the German national anthem on when it should have been the Israeli one at the start.

Its all done to upset the opposing team.

In Australias case it worked too well, the match degenerated into a fist fight and had to be replayed elsewhere.

Old saying.
"Football isn't a matter of life and death, its much more important than that."

If you really want to know how good you are in the World, play football, you will receive no quarter from anyone.

 

[Brazil4Worldcup2002]

There's always idiots during 'football' games, its a given fact. Its within the realm of probability that out of 80,000 or so expectators some will be idiots, but u can't paint everybody with the same brush.
Whenever there are games in Eastern Europe there are often idiots tossing bananas and shouting insults towards black players. Its a hostile crowd and football is about passion for your country (something many American sports lack), and that passion sometimes will mean some will over do it with nationalism and hostility towards the opposing them.

Just don't make a big deal out of it...Americans.