Reigning Gold Cup champions Mexico are scheduled to face the Dominican Republic in Los Angeles in Saturday’s opening match of the regional tournament, but events off the soccer field are getting more attention than El Tri’s chances of defending its title.
Protests over U.S. government immigration raids in the area began last Saturday and, in response to the rising episodes of violence, L.A. Mayor Karen Bass issued a curfew for Downtown Los Angeles on Tuesday night.
On Friday, Mayor Bass confirmed that the curfew will remain in effect “for several days.” Kick-off for Saturday’s match is set for 6:15 p.m. local time, which means the final whistle will come after 8 p.m. The curfew is from 8 p.m. through 6 a.m.
Concacaf officials are monitoring the situation and are in “close and ongoing communication with local authorities, host venues and the participating national teams,” ESPN reported.
“The safety and well-being of all participants, fans, and stakeholders is [our] highest priority,” Concacaf said in a press release.
The Mexico national team was even forced to change hotels over security considerations. Originally scheduled to stay in downtown Los Angeles, the team relocated to Long Beach to avoid the unrest.
The protests are now a week old, rising in intensity since U.S. President Donald Trump federalized National Guard troops and then sent U.S. Marines to the city.
Since the immigration protests began, the Los Angeles Police Department had made nearly 400 arrests and detentions through Thursday, according to The Associated Press.
The volatile situation has fans and officials concerned.
Los Angeles has a large and passionate Mexican-American community that strongly supports the Mexico national team, according to a Los Angeles Times article.
And with Mexico looking to win its third consecutive regional tournament after also winning the Concacaf Nations League in March, the anticipation for Saturday’s match was sky-high. More than 50,000 tickets for Saturday’s game against the Dominican Republic were sold in the weeks after El Tri’s March 23 win over Panama, according to the newspaper Marca.
Typically, there is a festive atmosphere ahead of a Mexico match in Los Angeles, but the immigration raids have darkened the environment.
The fear of a raid around the stadium is causing some immigrants to rethink attending the match. Scalpers who typically might find buyers for tickets at US $400 are now letting ducats go for as little as US $20, Marca reported.
There were even rumors that Concacaf was considering changing the venue for the game, according to Marca.
One woman who had tickets for Saturday’s match told Marca that it was not worth risking everything over a 90-minute game.
“El Tri is my passion, but I don’t want my kids to be left without a mother,” she said.
Even Team Mexico practice sessions, which usually draw a boisterous crowd of supporters, have been sparsely attended, Marca reported.
After Saturday’s match in L.A., El Tri will face Suriname in Arlington, Texas, on June 18 and concludes its group-stage schedule in Las Vegas on June 22 against Costa Rica.
FIFA tournament faces similar worries in L.A.
On Sunday, L.A. is also due to host the first of six FIFA Club World Cup matches to be played at nearby Pasadena’s Rose Bowl over the next fortnight, three of which feature Mexican club Rayados de Monterrey.
The Rayados are scheduled to play Italy’s Inter Milan on June 17, Argentina’s River Plate on June 21 and Japan’s Urawa Reds on June 25, all at the Rose Bowl.
Fans association Football Supporters Europe (FSE) told BBC Sport it is “deeply concerned.”
“The current policing approach in the US is wholly unfit for international sporting events. The continued use of excessive force against peaceful protestors is especially alarming. FIFA must act now,” FSE said in a press release.
FSE urged FIFA, global soccer’s governing body, to use its influence to ensure that “the human rights and civil liberties of all attending fans are protected and respected.”
With reports from Marca, ESPN, BBC, Reforma and Los Angeles Daily News
