A teen with a broken nose, a parent knocked unconscious — but no arrests after fists fly at a semi-pro soccer match in Irvine
A teen with a broken nose. A parent knocked unconscious. And yet, there were no arrests after a semi-pro soccer match in Irvine devolved into an all-out brawl Saturday night.
"I'm sad. I'm disturbed," said coach Bryan Wallace. "I'm feeling like I need to protect my children.
Wallace said his team Irvine Zeta FC, comprised of mostly teenagers, had just won against Club Garrafones, a team comprised of men 23 years old or young, at the city's Great Park when one of his players exchanged players with one of his opponents.
"In the middle of having a discussion with this player, another player came out from behind and punched him in the face," said Wallace.
The already frenzied situation only worsened when people from the sidelines, including adults, jumped into the scrum, according to Wallace.
He added that one of his 16-year-old players was standing in the middle of the scuffle when an adult rushed him and punched him in the face, breaking his nose. The teen must now undergo reconstructive surgery to fix the damage.
Wallace called police after a parent was knocked unconscious and as more fights erupted.
"The moments the sirens went off and police were on their way, they ran to the parking lot," said Wallace. "They got in cars — not one of them stayed back."
The United Premier League, which oversees both teams, said that the organization placed Club Garrafones and its coaching staff on a lifetime ban.
"There is no tolerance for such behavior in this league," the UPL said in a statement.
Rogelio Navarro, one of the coaches said Club Garrafones, said the ban was unfair and that a video shared by Wallace capturing the brawl does not share the whole story. Navarro claimed that his players were spat on and called racial slurs before any of the fights, including one that happened before the coach started recording.
He believes that his players, many of whom come from working-class backgrounds, are being depicted as criminals. The Irvine Police Department said they have launched an investigation into the brawl.
