Story at a glance
- Landon Donovan, coach of the San Diego Loyal, forfeited a game midway through over an alleged homophobic incident.
- A Phoenix Rising player is accused of directing an anti-gay slur toward Collin Martin, an openly gay Loyal player.
- Loyal has made a commitment toward social justice issues including racism and discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community.
True to their name, the San Diego Loyal chose their loyalty toward an openly gay player after a member of the opposing team allegedly directed an anti-gay slur at him, choosing to walk off the field despite leading the game 3-1.
Loyal Coach and former U.S. men’s national team player Landon Donovan led his team off the field after the incident involving midfielder Collin Martin. The team made a statement on Twitter defending their decision and reasserting their commitment to social justice, with the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter.
I couldn’t be more proud to be part of this club. What’s the point of the BLM jerseys/armbands, the kneeling before every game and the commitment to ending racism if we don’t address it when it happens right before our eyes? This is NEVER acceptable and we will not stand for it. https://t.co/9ilkYrUHyR
— Landon Donovan (@landondonovan) September 26, 2020
A video of the two coaches arguing after the alleged incident quickly went viral, in which Phoenix Rising coach Rick Schantz can be heard asking Donovan how long he has been part of soccer.
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“My question was in reference to Donovan’s behavior on the field with the referee, and in no way was I excusing any alleged homophobic behavior from my players,” Schantz said in a statement on Twitter.
https://t.co/qozqo9oih5 pic.twitter.com/x9AALKbL2T
— Rick Schantz (@RickSchantz1) October 1, 2020
In a statement on Twitter, the Rising said they are investigating the allegations, which the player denies.
“Phoenix Rising stands with the [United Soccer League] USL in rejecting and punishing any homophobic behavior,” said the team.
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The United Soccer League (USL) was one of the first sports to return amid the coronavirus pandemic, but it is only the latest to confront discrimination within the league as protests against racism and police brutality unfold across the country. An unnamed source told ESPN the league is reevaluating disciplinary measures in instances of foul and abusive language ahead of the 2021 season.
“Foul and abusive language of any type has absolutely no place in our society and will not be tolerated in USL matches,” the USL said in a statement.
Just last week, the reserve team of the LA Galaxy, LA Galaxy II, “mutually agreed to part ways” with defender Omar Ontiveros after he allegedly directed the N-word at another Loyal player, Elijah Martin. ESPN reported that Galaxy II staff and the referee allegedly heard Ontiveros use the N-word but did not address it.
“We’ve been through a lot in the last week,” Donovan said in a video posted to the Loyal’s Twitter account. “This club, our players, the organization has been through a lot in the last week. I understand that most people watching from afar probably don’t really get it, but we’ve been living it. We went through a really hard incident last week in the LA match, and we made a vow to ourselves, to our community, to our players, to the club, to USL that we would not stand for bigotry, homophobic slurs, things that don’t belong in our game.”
Landon Donovan on why the team decided to forfeit tonight’s match against Phoenix Rising FC. #SDvPHX pic.twitter.com/7BcqzZBSrV
— San Diego Loyal (@SanDiegoLoyal) October 1, 2020
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