Racial slur allegations used by New York Red Bulls player follow patterns

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player who is alleged to be charged with directing a racial slur at a San Jose Earthquakes player during Saturday night’s game. Sportswire icon via Getty Images

When a New York Red Bulls player’s allegations against a member of the San Jose Earthquakes emerged after Saturday’s 1-1 draw, they not only ruined a Major League Soccer game day, but also followed several patterns that surfaced in such incidents.

It is the third such allegation made against a player in the case alleged to be Red Bulls striker Dante Vanzeir in as many seasons. The first came in a 2021 game when Minnesota United’s Franco Fragapane was accused of verbally abusing Portland Timbers Diego Chara. The second was against DC Uniteds Taxi Fountas in a game last September.

And while the ultimate responsibility for the use of racist or intolerant language rests with the person using it, this episode’s similarities to previous ones may also suggest something institutionally wrong.

This does not mean that MLS encourages racist behavior in any way. But there may be flaws in the implementation of their anti-racism policies.

Here is an overview of the similarities and their implications.

Foreign player, first year

The most obvious similarities between the episodes were that the three players charged were foreign nationals playing in their first seasons in MLS.

The alleged Argentine Fragapanes incident came in his third regular season game and only a week after his MLS debut. Fountas, a Greece international, was 21 games into his MLS career before his incident ended his season. And on Sunday, the Belgian Vanzeir was in his sixth game in MLS.

Why is it important? There are two components to this.

The first is cross-cultural, that there may be a need for more targeted anti-racism education for players entering from other countries. Unfortunately, racism among fans and players is no stranger to the world of football, and in some countries it is much more culturally tolerated.

The second is that all of these players had an abbreviated or full pre-season with their clubs. This is usually when players complete the league’s mandatory anti-racism training course. According to the league, players arriving after preseason must complete practice during their first game and no later than seven days after their first practice session. But according to 2021 reports from the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, this requirement, like many other league policies, appears to be under the scrutiny of individual clubs, with clubs facing fines if they fail to follow these procedures.

These educational programs do not suddenly prevent previously racist people from having racist thoughts or feelings. But they should clarify the serious consequences of expressing these feelings in MLS and hopefully prevent black players from suffering abuse. While we don’t know if the accused players completed these programs in a timely manner, but if they didn’t, that’s an issue the league needs to address.

Foreign players also targeted

Much of the American discussion surrounding the rights of black people and black gamers centers on the American black population. But in each of the three previous incidents discussed, it appears the players allegedly targeted were born elsewhere. Chara is Colombian. Miamis Damion Lowe is a Jamaican international. And while it’s unclear who may have been San Jose’s target, they weren’t American either. Forward Jeremy Ebobisse is the only black American player who was on the field for the Quakes at the time, and in his postgame remarks he said he was convinced the words weren’t directed towards him.

Why it matters: This could be partly a coincidence. According to FBref.com, Brazil, France, Venezuela, Colombia and Ghana are among the top 10 most common player nationalities within the league, and black players typically come from all of these nations. However, it is also possible that foreign players are being targeted for other reasons, or perhaps even the case where some believe that foreign players would ignore such insults in a way that black American players could not.

None of this condones potentially racist or otherwise abusive language being used towards anyone. But it may be critical information in determining how MLS tries to prevent these incidents in the future.

veterans speak

In the latter two cases, the accusing team asked a veteran Black American player to address the media after the game. With Miami, it was DeAndre Yedlin, two-time American World Cup veteran. For San Jose, it was forward Jeremy Ebobisse, who was on the roster of board members when MLS advocacy group Black Players for Change was formed in 2020.

Why it matters: First, it shows that black players making these allegations are very concerned about being trustworthy. Ebobisse and Yedlin are two of the most recognizable faces in the league given their longevity and ongoing relationships with the media. Ebobisse even alluded to that feeling of pressure during his remarks on Saturday night.

Furthermore, it also suggests an organized, deliberate, and perhaps premeditated preparation for such incidents when they do occur. It should be noted that all of these episodes have occurred since the formation of Black Players for Change. The deliberate nature of their response suggests that there were similar concerns for many years before they were made public.

No resolution on the ground

On Apple TV’s MLS Wrap Up late Saturday night, refereeing expert Christina Unkel outlined the protocol referees follow during such incidents, including how they determine whether allegations can be upheld on the ground. As Unkel explained, the referees not only have the ears of the four officials at their disposal, but also all the video and audio review evidence of the leagues video review protocol. And yet, despite the availability of these tools, none of the three incidents could end with a conclusion on the ground.

In the previous two, follow-up investigations by Major League Soccer revealed that the allegations were made in good faith, but lacked sufficient evidence to confirm or deny their veracity and thus impose sanctions on the players or the club.

Why it matters: If the investigation following this incident leads to the same inconclusive place as the others, the protocols themselves may be flawed and need to be restructured. However, it is true that how this might lead to a better outcome is unclear. It is unrealistic and probably problematic to require every player to wear a field mic.

At the very least, the apparent low likelihood that the process will lead to a resolution should be communicated. This could cause the players involved to take further action, either by deciding not to press charges or by going further and deciding to drop games when such incidents occur. Instead, we may see a third progression in the cycle: allegations are made, the public hopes for clear evidence, the investigation finds no evidence, no conclusions are reached, and no more substantial action is taken. undertaken by the injured party.

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I write about MLS, the United States Men’s National Team and CONCACAF for Forbes.com. Elsewhere, I handicap MLS, USMNT and the English Premier League for The Action Network and work as a writer and editor for thestriker.com, an independent American football media outlet.

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