MLS must prove it’s serious
By Anthony Rotz
April 8th’s match between the New York Red Bulls and San Jose Earthquakes seemed like your normal match until it wasn’t.
Sports around the globe have campaigned for inclusion, and over the last several years, we have seen those efforts increase. Major League Soccer has played its part in vocalizing its stance against racism and support for inclusion. Alas, this is the second consecutive season the league is facing a controversy stemming from racist remarks from one of its players.
During the 54th minute, as players clamored to the referee following a collision, Red Bulls striker Dante Vanzeir spouted a racial slur near San Jose’s Jeremy Ebobisse and Jonathan Mensah. We can say for certain the Belgian made a racist remark because he has admitted as much.
With the proof in the pudding, MLS must pair all their virtuous talk with tangible action.
It’s an opportunity to show the league they are serious about ridding the league of this behavior following the Taxi Fountas situation last season.
It was only seven months ago that the league found itself in a similar situation. Miami’s Damion Lowe accused DC United’s Taxi Fountas of hurling the N-word at him. Following an investigation by MLS, the league found the accusation to be “credible” but could not definitively and independently confirm his actions. MLS did not reprimand Fountas who sat out the rest of the season, which the club dubbed “voluntarily separated”.
New York has not yet levied any consequence against their player, further compounding the poor optics of Gerhard Struber’s decision to leave Vanzeir in the game.
Like Red Bulls, MLS, aside from the classic PR moves of releasing a statement condemning the actions and announcing an investigation, has not yet punished the offender.
We may not know Vanzeir’s exact words, but we can understand the message that was conveyed when someone admits to a “racial slur”. Such ugliness has no place in the beautiful game.
If Major League Soccer is serious about truly condemning this incident, then the league must demonstrate its own intolerance to the community. A community that includes many players and supporters of color.
MLS must hand a significant suspension down.