The championship game was described as a “tough, hard-fought game”, but it ended with a fight that involved players and parents.
It happened at the Disney Wide World of Sports Complex at the close of the Disney Cup International Youth Soccer Tournament at a U16 final between Orlando FC/QPR Academy and Pachuca FC Miami.
An article in the Orlando Sentinel reported that players and parents from the Miami team came across the field in the altercation. The elderly grandfather of one of the Orlando players was struck in the chest and knocked to the ground[show_disconnected][show_to accesslevel=’Subscriber’].
The Orlando goalkeeper, Jordan Feinberg was pummeled and repeatedly kicked in the head while down on the ground.
‘He’s doing all right,” said Matthew Feinberg, father of Jordan, 16, who suffered a concussion. “He’s sore, still has a headache. But it could have been a lot worse.
“He has cleat marks across his neck and back and head. There was a pile of 10 kids on him at one point.”
Checked out at a local hospital, Feinberg was told by doctors that soccer was out for at least two weeks.
The Sentinel also reported that the Osceola County Sheriffs Office has recommended that a felony battery charge be filed against one of the Miami players. The identity of that player was not released.
No recommendations were made for charges against any adults.
A day after the altercation, parents from Pachuca FC Miami were speaking out, saying The Sentinel story was incorrect and slanted against their players, who were mostly Colombian-American.
It’s very sad that the article was made to pretty much profile and label our kids as ‘Miami thugs’ when that’s exactly what we are trying to avoid,” said volunteer director Monica Mularski, published in an article by Michael Miller in the Miami New Times blog.
Mularski, who was not at the game, spoke to the Miami parents who were there. She said that the Orlando goalkeeper who was injured initiated the altercation, and that an Orlando FC father was the first parent to step on the field.
“It’s very easy to blame it on us,” she said. “The majority of our players are Hispanic, our coach is Hispanic, most of them speak Spanish.
“We are not going to say that our kids aren’t at fault. All parents and kids on that field assaulting one another should be held accountable.
“We will hold our kids and parents responsible. We are already putting kids on probation. But it’s not so one-sided as it appears in that article.”
For the record, the Orlando FC/QPR Academy won the game, 2-1.
It happened at the Disney Wide World of Sports Complex at the close of the Disney Cup International Youth Soccer Tournament at a U16 final between Orlando FC/QPR Academy and Pachuca FC Miami.
An article in the Orlando Sentinel reported that players and parents from the Miami team came across the field in the altercation. The elderly grandfather of one of the Orlando players was struck in the chest and knocked to the ground[show_disconnected][show_to accesslevel=’Subscriber’].
The Orlando goalkeeper, Jordan Feinberg was pummeled and repeatedly kicked in the head while down on the ground.
‘He’s doing all right,” said Matthew Feinberg, father of Jordan, 16, who suffered a concussion. “He’s sore, still has a headache. But it could have been a lot worse.
“He has cleat marks across his neck and back and head. There was a pile of 10 kids on him at one point.”
Checked out at a local hospital, Feinberg was told by doctors that soccer was out for at least two weeks.
The Sentinel also reported that the Osceola County Sheriffs Office has recommended that a felony battery charge be filed against one of the Miami players. The identity of that player was not released.
No recommendations were made for charges against any adults.
A day after the altercation, parents from Pachuca FC Miami were speaking out, saying The Sentinel story was incorrect and slanted against their players, who were mostly Colombian-American.
It’s very sad that the article was made to pretty much profile and label our kids as ‘Miami thugs’ when that’s exactly what we are trying to avoid,” said volunteer director Monica Mularski, published in an article by Michael Miller in the Miami New Times blog.
Mularski, who was not at the game, spoke to the Miami parents who were there. She said that the Orlando goalkeeper who was injured initiated the altercation, and that an Orlando FC father was the first parent to step on the field.
“It’s very easy to blame it on us,” she said. “The majority of our players are Hispanic, our coach is Hispanic, most of them speak Spanish.
“We are not going to say that our kids aren’t at fault. All parents and kids on that field assaulting one another should be held accountable.
“We will hold our kids and parents responsible. We are already putting kids on probation. But it’s not so one-sided as it appears in that article.”
For the record, the Orlando FC/QPR Academy won the game, 2-1.
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