Report: Loudoun United Player Directed Homophobic Slur at Hartford Athletic Player
The incident occurred in Loudoun's 2-0 win on Saturday night
A Loudoun United player directed a homophobic slur towards a Hartford Athletic player during Saturday’s 2-0 loss sources told The Blazing Musket.
The alleged incident occurred in the 58th minute, following a foul by Loudoun’s Florian Valot on Michee Ngalina. A confrontation between the teams ensued, and the restart of the game was delayed for several minutes. No discipline was assessed to any player, and it was not immediately clear which player allegedly used the slur. Following the conclusion of the game, there were additional confrontations between players, although it’s also not clear if this was connected to the earlier incident.
Homophobic language in soccer is familiar to virtually every fan in CONCACAF, largely due to the use of a homophobic chant by supporters of Liga MX teams and the Mexican national team. FIFA has levied various sanctions against the Mexican football federation, and most recently, the 2023 CONCACAF Nations League semifinal between the United States and Mexico was ended early due to the chants.
The most high-profile incident in USL Championship history came during the 2020 season when Phoenix Rising forward Junior Flemmings directed a homophobic slur towards San Diego Loyal (and former Hartford Athletic) midfielder Collin Martin. In that game, the Loyal walked off the pitch in protest, forfeiting the match. Flemmings denied using the slur, but was suspended for six games by the league, fined an undisclosed amount, and never played for Phoenix again.
The Blazing Musket has reached out to Loudoun United, Hartford Athletic, and the USL Championship for comment. As of publishing none has been received.
This is a developing story.
Update: Loudoun United has provided comment to The Blazing Musket.
“The matter is under investigation, and no statements will be made while the process is ongoing.”
UPDATE 10/11/24: Hartford Athletic has declined to comment on this report.
Appreciate you sharing this info. Sad that a professional athlete acted this way on the field.