Yedlin: Inter Miami’s 3-2 win at D.C. United overshadowed by Taxi Fountas’ racist slur
The Inter Miami locker room should have been a joyous place Sunday night after a 3-2 road win over D.C. United that pushed the men in pink above the playoff line with three games left in the season.
Instead, coach Phil Neville and right back DeAndre Yedlin said the victory was tarnished as they claimed that D.C. United forward Taxi Fountas used a racial slur against Miami defender Damion Lowe, a black Jamaican player, shortly after Fountas scored to make it 2-2. The two players had a run-in in the 62nd minute, and referee Ismail Elfath issued yellow cards to both players.
Miami players went to the sideline to complain, a long conversation ensued, play resumed, and D.C. coach Wayne Rooney pulled Fountas from the game four minutes later and replaced him with Miguel Berry.
“We need to address an issue that maybe in the past was swept under the carpet, but we’re a club that is proud of our diversity and inclusion in our staff and supporters, and there is no place at all for racism on a football field or society,” Neville said in his postgame remarks. “A word was used that is unacceptable in society. It is the worst word in the world.”
Neville went on to commend his players for keeping their calm, Elfath for how he handled “a really, really difficult situation,” and said he has “massive respect” for Rooney, his former Manchester United teammate, for dealing with Fountas the way he did.
“I’ve always known him as a class act, and [Sunday] in my estimation he did more than any goal he’s ever scored,” Neville said. “The players were hurt, and I called them over to talk because in my previous job with England we’ve had lots of experience with racism in certain countries. … I told them we would stick together and deal with this.”
Rooney said: “There was a complaint, which I’m sure will get investigated. Not much more I can say.”
D.C. United addressed the situation after the game: “D.C. United are aware of the allegations involving a player during the match against Inter Miami CF. The club will work closely with Major League Soccer and Inter Miami to investigate the incident.”
Yedlin, a member of the U.S. national team whose father is African American, was gutted and said he hopes D.C. United and MLS take further action.
“Unfortunately, it makes a really nice moment for us kind of dark,” Yedlin. “This is something I’ve been outspoken about my whole career, so it’s really unfortunate to see it live...The win was dwarfed by this situation.”
Yedlin said that as Lowe was walking away from Fountas after a scuffle, Fountas “called him the N word.” Miami center back Aime Mabika, one of the most mild-mannered players on the team, reacted angrily, Yedlin said. “When we saw Aime react the way he did, we knew it was serious. As soon as I heard what he said, I got pretty emotional, as well.”
Yedlin said he told Neville that Inter Miami players would not continue with the game until something was done with Fountas. Neville then spoke to Rooney.
“We came out with the win, but at the end of the day, it doesn’t even feel like a win because of that incredibly dark moment, so now we’ll see what MLS does about it,” Yedlin said. “It’s hard to wrap your head around that that is still being said in 2022. We can wear T-shirts and hold signs that say ‘Say No to Racism’ but at what point will a strong stand be taken?”
MLS put out a statement after the game: “MLS has zero tolerance for abusive and offensive language, and we take these allegations very seriously. An investigation into this matter will begin promptly.”
The Washington Post reported that the referee, Elfath, told a pool reporter that no official had heard racist or abusive language and that none was detected via video review.
The positive of the game for Inter Miami was that Gonzalo Higuain and Leo Campana, the team’s two most lethal scoring weapons, came through in a critical game.
D.C. took an early lead in the 22nd minute on a goal by Christian Benteke but Campana swung the momentum in Miami’s favor.
Campana, returning to the starting lineup for the first time in six weeks, scored the first two Miami goals. The first, an equalizer in the 39th minute, came from a scrum in front of the goal after United goalkeeper David Ochoa fumbled an Higuain corner kick and Campana pounced on it. He put Miami ahead 2-1 in the 53rd minute after heading a pass to Alejandro Pozuelo, who couldn’t get a foot on it, so Campana took the shot himself.
Higuain scored the game-winner in stoppage time off a perfect Yedlin cross. Campana now has 10 goals on the season and Higuain has 13.
Miami got some help earlier Sunday afternoon from the Portland Timbers, who scored a stoppage time equalizer against the Columbus Crew. With the tie, the Crew gained just one point in the Eastern Conference standings, which meant Miami could leapfrog Columbus into the playoff zone with a win.
Miami (12-13-6, 42 points) took over the seventh and final playoff spot in the East. United (7-19-6, 27 points) is winless in its past four matches.
Desperate to score goals, Neville went with a 4-4-2 diamond formation that featured Higuain and Campana up top. It was just the fourth time all season the two forwards started together and first time since Aug. 3. Higuain has been one of the hottest scorers in the league in recent weeks with 10 goals in the past 13 games as Campana sat out with a thigh injury.
“To get where we want to get to, we need to score three or four goals to win games, and I looked at the team and thought, `Where’s our goals? Gonzalo and Leo.’ At 70 minutes I probably should have taken Gonzalo off, but I had to keep goals on the pitch. Everyone knows what Leo is about and I don’t think there’s a better striker in the MLS at this moment in time than Gonzalo Higuain and he’s had to take a hell of a lot of criticism, but he’s leading this group to where we want to get to.”
Goalkeeper Nick Marsman stayed back in South Florida as his pregnant wife is due with their second child.
“A lot of people had written us off, but we’re still in the hunt, still in the race,” Neville said.
Inter Miami and the rest of the league are on international break this week. Miami’s next game is on the road Sept. 30 against Toronto FC and the final two games are at home Oct. 5 vs Orlando City and Oct. 9 vs Montreal.
This story was originally published September 18, 2022 at 9:04 PM.