International friendlies in late September nearly four full years out from the next World Cup typically leave a lot to be desired, but that was not the case on Tuesday with the U.S. men’s national team playing host to Chile in St. Louis.
The match entered the break knotted at 1-1 before the two sides traded goals just six minutes into the second half. The USMNT was able to break the tie courtesy of a Chris Richards goal in the 72nd minute before 17-year-old Mathis Albert added some cushion with a tally in the 93rd minute to secure a 4-2 victory.
While it seemed likely that Albert’s goal in stoppage time would be the final noteworthy moment of the match, that was very much not the case.
Nearly a full minute beyond the five minutes of allotted stoppage time had come off the clock; USMNT goalkeeper Brian Schwake fell on a loose ball, looking to milk the final seconds of the contest.
Chilean forward Leandro Hernandez continued his jog towards Schwake and appeared to take a small kick at the ball. Richards saw Hernandez’s kick at the ball, took exception, and within seconds every player on the field was pushing and shoving.
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The benches cleared with personnel from both teams sprinting onto the pitch, and that included USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino, who was caught right in the middle of the altercation.
“It’s a crazy situation,” Pochettino said after the final whistle. “You try to divide the players and calm down. Sometimes, when you are winning you have to understand the opponent may go to the line and walk over the line in frustration.”
USMNT midfielder Tyler Adams was the most animated of the bunch as cameras caught him pointing towards Chilean players shouting at them while being held back by teammates.
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After the two sides were finally separated and all had cooled off, Richards and Hernandez were the only two players who were given yellow cards.
While the two sides trading shoves and expletives capped off the night, Albert’s tally in stoppage time was a historical moment for the USMNT as he became the youngest player in team history to find the back of the net for the red, white, and blue.
