Red Brawl New York: Fights and six red cards spoil the “friendly” match against Club América | New York Red Bulls

One of the hallmarks of Mauricio Pochettino’s career in international management has been his refusal to adopt the term “friendly”. His preferred brand is “unofficial games”.

His twist gained some validity on Saturday, during the New York Red Bulls’ friendly against Club America, marked by a massive brawl between the teams that resulted in five red cards and a slew of drinks thrown from the stands.

The game itself was strange for several reasons. First, the Red Bulls have already been eliminated from the comically indulgent MLS playoffs, meaning players (aside from veterans like Emil Forsberg) have delayed their vacations for a glorified scrimmage. Second, the match was announced on October 1, by which time it was abundantly clear that the NWSL’s Gotham FC, tenant of the Red Bulls’ Sports Illustrated Stadium, could host a playoff semifinal that same weekend.

That scheduling problem, combined with the poor condition of the field, became a serious problem for the NWSL club, which settled for the 5,000-seat Icahn Stadium for Sunday’s semifinal.

For the Red Bulls, the show must go on – and boy, did they find a way to entertain the fans who showed up for this low-stakes affair.

Not with their football exploits, mind you. Playing without the aforementioned veterans and US internationals Julian Hall and Adri Mehmeti, the remaining Red Bulls were ready for a fight. At one point in the second half, América goalkeeper Rodolfo Cota required treatment for hitting a boot above the knee as he closed a shooting angle, putting the visitors on alert.

About 40 minutes into the second half, this unofficial match abandoned any attempt to be friendly. Mijahir Jiménez dribbled towards the right corner flag, only to be brought down by a defender. He was very offended by the nature of the challenge, unleashing a maelstrom of shoving, punching, crowd-throwing drinks and men pressing their chests and foreheads together like American rams in the heat of the rutting season.

The entire sequence lives on via a live stream on YouTube, where former Mexico defender Miguel Layún comes to life in his playing chair and begs his compatriots to keep the fight alive. The brawl lasted 65 seconds, while the ensuing corner came seven minutes after Jimenez’s dribble.

The only score of the evening that counts: three Red Bulls sent off, three American players, the last five minutes being eight against eight. The referee decided to waive any added time in the second half, almost certainly for the better.