The US Soccer Federation has issued a message of zero tolerance as they vowed that there is "no place in the game" for discrimination after USMNT stars faced racial abuse on social media after defeat at Copa America .
Players including Timothy Weah and Folarin Balogun were subjected to the remarks in the wake of the team's loss versus Panama in Group C. The "Stars and Stripes" fell to a 2-1 defeat in Atlanta, with the José Fajardo clinching the winner in the 83rd minute after an eventful clash.
Former Arsenal ace Balogun had opened the scoring in front of a home crowd before Cesar Blackman levelled proceedings for Panama - either side of Weah being sent off in the 18th minute. After playing over an hour with ten men, the USA's resolve finally broke as they slumped to a wounding loss in their second group game.
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After the result was confirmed at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the racial abuse that USMNT players were subjected to inspired major controversy. With the aforementioned Weah and Balogun on the receiving end of discriminatory comments online, the US Soccer Federation issued a statement as they condemned the remarks.
In a statement, they said: " U.S. Soccer is aware of and deeply disturbed by the racist comments made online and directed at several of our Men's National Team players following tonight's match. There is absolutely no place in the game for such hateful and discriminatory behavior.
"These actions are not only unacceptable but also contrary to the values of respect and inclusivity that we uphold as an organization," they continued, as they reinforced their message. "U.S. Soccer stands firmly against racism in all forms and will continue to support our players."
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Speaking on his sending off during the game, Weah said: "A moment of frustration led to an irreversible consequence, and for that, I am deeply sorry to my teammates, coaches, family and our fans. Moving forward, I am committed to learning from this experience, not allowing an opponent to provoke me, and working to regain the trust and respect of my team and supporters.
"No matter what I will always fight for my team and my country till the day I'm no longer needed or capable to! I sincerely apologize to everyone My love for this team goes beyond just football and I'm so sad and angry at myself for putting my brothers through what they went through tonight."
Also reflecting on the dismissal, head coach Gregg Berhalter defended his player, adding: "Tim got bumped, he got checked, and he reacted. He apologized to the group and I think he understands what a difficult position he put the group in."
"He’s an ultimate team player. He stood up and he took accountability for it right away and we’ll move on."
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