D.C. United’s road match against the Chicago Fire Saturday night was briefly stopped following a report of discriminatory language used toward one of its players.
During the 74th minute, before a throw-in, referee Sergii Demianchuk stopped the match to speak with United striker Tai Baribo. Demianchuk then spoke with D.C. head coach René Weiler and Chicago’s Gregg Berhalter before restarting the match.
Major League Soccer’s Spanish-language broadcast was the first to report the use of discriminatory language toward Baribo.
In his response to the pool reporter after the game, Demianchuk said a “reported discriminatory slur” was made by an unidentified fan toward Baribo. The response did not include what word was said.
During his postgame press conference, Weiler said the stoppage was due to a fan in the stands saying “something negative,” but did not want to elaborate further. He added that he asked the head official to continue the match immediately and “don’t give it the power and the scene.”
Baribo was not made available for comments after the game. He continued playing following the incident, scoring the game-winner in United’s 2-1 road win.
The striker joined D.C. last December after a $4 million trade and became its new designated player. Baribo also plays for the Israeli national team and has spoken about being Jewish.
Chicago Fire said in a statement to WTOP:
During last night’s match, we were notified of an alleged incident in which an individual was reported to have made a derogatory remark toward a player on the field. In response, we immediately deployed additional security to the sideline near the reported location.
Chicago Fire FC does not tolerate derogatory or abusive behavior of any kind. Any attendees found in violation of this policy are subject to removal and/or ban. We appreciate the cooperation of our fans in helping maintain a safe and inclusive atmosphere for everyone.
When discriminatory language is used toward players or coaches during an MLS match, referees are to stop the match, investigate its camera footage if possible and speak to team captains and coaches before restarting.
It is the second time that a match involving Baribo in Chicago was temporarily stopped. Last year, when Baribo played with the Philadelphia Union, a match was paused twice after some Fire supporters sang an anti-gay chant.
WTOP has reached out to MLS for additional comment.