Fighting among fans shut down a soccer game on Sunday in San Luis Potosí.

The match between the Atlético of San Luis Postosí and the Querétaro Football Club was suspended 83 minutes into the game when fans began fighting and throwing objects at each other.

The brawl forced many terrified fans to escape onto the field in search of safety. Photos of children clinging in fear to their parents served as evidence of the gravity of the situation.

The official Twitter account of the Mexican soccer league, Liga MX, announced the suspension of the game, saying it could not guarantee fans’ safety.

After nearly an hour of violence, the San Luis soccer team announced that the situation had been brought under control and that the combative fans had begun to vacate the stadium.

The Liga MX published a press release Sunday night condemning the violence that broke out in the Alfonso Lastras Stadium.

“We ask that the authorities of the stadium in San Luis Postosí act vigorously, according to the law, to arrest those responsible for these lamentable acts and carry out an in-depth investigation into what happened,” the press release said.

The league also requested that the Mexican Soccer Federation’s disciplinary commission investigate the incident.

San Luis Potosí coach Gustavo Matosas told a press conference that his team took all necessary precautions before the game to prevent such an incident.

“. . . there were three meetings this week about security . . . Sometimes masses of people are uncontrollable, and for the good of soccer, I hope that this never happens again. No one wants this, and none of us like it,” he said.

Querétaro was winning the match 2-0 when the fighting broke out, but the league left it officially suspended, awarding no win or loss to either team.

Source: El Economista (sp)