An ugly brawl erupted after Inter Miami’s 3-0 defeat to the Seattle Sounders in the Leagues Cup final on Sunday, during which Luis Suarez appeared to spit at a member of the opposing team’s staff.
Immediately after the final whistle at Lumen Field, the veteran Uruguayan striker Suarez confronted 20-year-old Sounders midfielder Obed Vargas, putting him in a headlock. This action quickly escalated into a scuffle involving multiple players and staff from both sides. As officials worked to restore order, cameras caught Suarez seemingly spitting at a Seattle coach as he walked away from Vargas.
Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano later said he was too far away to comment on any specific incidents. “Nobody likes these kinds of actions at the end of a match, but if there’s a reaction, maybe there was a provocation,” he said. Indeed, multiple scuffles occurred before the trophy ceremony finally got underway.
Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer took the high road, choosing to focus on his team’s strong collective effort in a victory over a Miami side featuring superstar Lionel Messi. “Unfortunately, that is going to take some of the attention away from a great performance by the Seattle Sounders,” Schmetzer said of the brawl. “I guess we can take that as a compliment that Miami’s frustrations led to some things happening on the field that shouldn’t happen on the field.” He added, “I’m going to shut that down because that shouldn’t be the story,” noting that he had a “quiet moment” with Messi on the field after the game.
However, Suarez will face scrutiny for his role. The 38-year-old’s reputation as one of the game’s arch-villains was cemented when he bit Giorgio Chiellini during the 2014 World Cup. He has also been sanctioned for previous biting incidents and for racially abusing an opposing player in club play.
