It should have been a night to remember, purely for the football.
Lionel Messi and the Argentina national team made history by defeating Colombia under the Sunday night lights of Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium, winning in extra time to claim a second consecutive Copa America title. It was the team’s third major international title in as many years — fourth if you include the Finalissima meeting with European champions Italy in June 2022. Lautaro Martinez’s goal in the 112th minute sealed the victory, giving Angel Di Maria a poetic sendoff into international retirement. The night went exactly as Di Maria says he dreamed it.
Except, the night will also be remembered for the chaos that unfolded before the match even began. Fans rushing the stadium gates. Desperate parents handing children to security in fear for their safety. Supporters stumbling into the stadium grounds in clear distress from heat exhaustion.
It is clear now that organizers were unprepared for the unprecedented interest in a Copa America final in the Florida city, despite the region being a hotbed for Latinos and soccer’s popularity exploding across the United States. A blame game has ensued, leaving many questions unanswered.
The information that has emerged so far paints a grim picture and begs the question: how did this happen?
GO DEEPER
‘It was inhuman’: Why the Copa America final was delayed and dangerously close to disaster
Why was a South American tournament being played in the U.S.?
Copa America is not an event usually held on U.S. soil. In fact, the tournament is South America’s most-prized event, and the oldest continental-level football/soccer competition in the world.
It is organized by CONMEBOL, the confederation that oversees South American football, and features mostly South American teams. The tournament is held every few years, depending on the international football calendar, and organizers usually invite teams from other federations to compete as CONMEBOL only has 10 members. That is how the U.S. and Mexico, and four other CONCACAF (the confederation for North and Central America, plus the Caribbean) nations, ended up in this summer’s edition.
The United States remains the only country outside South America to host a Copa America. It staged a special edition of the tournament to mark its 100th anniversary in 2016, which CONMEBOL considered a resounding success. This summer’s tournament was expected to be played in Ecuador but that country declined the opportunity. Then, in January 2023, the U.S. was announced as the host.
The U.S. is often seen as an easy option for major international competitions because of the nation’s large inventory of big, state-of-the-art stadiums, established transportation infrastructure and fans’ willingness to spend. That last part was especially true in Miami in the days leading up to Sunday’s final, where the price for resale tickets floated around $2,000 ($1,540).
It made sense that CONMEBOL would pick the U.S. as a host nation for those reasons. But the 2016 Copa was run very differently to this summer’s tournament and, while that event had its own mixed reviews, the safety of fans and security issues were never in question.
So, what happened at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday?
As shocking as the scenes were in Miami, there had been earlier signs of dysfunction.
The aftermath of the tournament’s second semifinal, when Uruguayan players physically clashed with Colombia fans, was the biggest red flag. Those scenes in Charlotte, North Carolina, brought security concerns to the forefront, and doubts emerged about the organizers’ ability to maintain order and keep fans, players and their families safe. Organizers, though, assured supporters and media that they were ready for the event’s grand finale.
Just hours before Sunday’s final, CONMEBOL shared with media members that only ticketed fans would be allowed to enter stadium parking lots. The instructions did little to deter supporters, and soon crowds began swarming around the perimeter’s stadium entrances.
Huge crowds gather at locked entrance gates (Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
Reports from journalists on the ground began trickling in of police detaining supporters. We later learned fans were entering the stadium without tickets. Soon, images of them being pressed together in 90F (32C) heat began to surface. Those in the back of the crowd rushed forward, crushing those at the front against gates that remained shut.
Parents began handing children across to security guards inside the gates, worried for their safety. Their young faces were teary and flushed red. When entrances were opened, sometimes forcibly, fans rushed inside, appearing to stampede over others.
And once they were in, the scenes worsened. Fans carried other supporters to medical tents, desperate for water or aid. Drinks were only available to those determined to be in desperate need, so journalists pooled their money and bought more to give to supporters, as those on the ground recounted. Some fans collapsed, while others were being forcefully detained by police. Officials began sharing statements on social media, addressing the “thousands of fans without tickets” attempting to enter the stadium. They ordered those without tickets to leave, to no avail.
The spectacle was impossible for officials to contain, leading to the stadium doors being shut again and causing even more havoc for those desperate to get inside. Videos have gone viral of fans entering the venue through vents. Images of extreme damage to the stadium property, like the escalator for the stadium’s 72 Club, have also circulated.
A look at the escalator to the ’72 Club’ at Hard Rock Stadium after tonight’s Copa América Final:
pic.twitter.com/2doiN0eu9l
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) July 15, 2024
All this chaos pushed back the start of the final by one hour and 15 minutes.
Officials shut the gates when the venue reached capacity, with some fans who paid thousands for a ticket never making it inside.
What have law enforcement and stadium officials said?
Miami-Dade Police was the first to address the chaos at 7:05pm, with less than one hour until the originally scheduled kick-off time. Police said there were “several incidents” reported because of the “unruly behavior of fans trying to access the stadium”. They warned that these actions could lead to arrest or ejection from the venue.
CONMEBOL then announced the game would be delayed by 30 minutes. At this point, nobody was being allowed into the stadium. “Only those with purchased tickets will be permitted entry once access is reopened,” its statement said at 7:43 p.m. Fifteen minutes later, Hard Rock Stadium said the match was delayed until further notice.
“In anticipation of tonight’s Copa America final, thousands of fans without tickets attempted to forcibly enter the stadium, putting other fans, security and law enforcement officers at extreme risk,” the statement read. “Security has shut the gates in order to control the entry process at a much slower rate and ensure everyone is kept safe.”
Stadium officials then asked those without tickets to leave the venue.
The match finally kicked off by 9:15pm, though security was combing the stands and checking fans’ tickets well into the game.
The numbers: how many arrests or injuries were reported?
The Miami-Dade Police Department said more than 800 law enforcement officers were on scene from at least eight departments in and around the city.
Police said “unruly fans” without tickets attempted to breach the stadium and bypass security. A stadium spokesperson previously estimated there were “thousands of fans” without tickets attempting to get in. Hard Rock Stadium is likely to have had its own private security personnel on the premises, as well.
There was “extensive” damage to the stadium and several injuries to stadium personnel, law enforcement and fans, police said. Miami-Dade Fire and Rescue told The Athletic this week it responded to 120 incidents around the stadium on Sunday, including in the parking lots. A total of 116 of those calls were medical-related.
Miami-Dade Police also said it reported 37 arrests and 55 ejections, including that of a high-profile football executive. Ramon Jesurun, president of the Colombia Football Federation and CONMEBOL vice-president, and his son, Ramon Jamil Jesurun, were arrested around 12:30am and booked on three counts of felony battery. Both are accused of fighting security guards near a tunnel where the media had gathered.
The number of arrests is likely to grow as stadium officials have made a point of saying they “will continue to work with law enforcement to identify and hold criminals accountable”.
Will there be an investigation?
Miami-Dade’s mayor Daniella Levine Cava and chief of public safety James Reyes issued a joint statement addressing the scenes at Hard Rock while the final was still being played. They expressed “outrage” at the “unprecedented events” that took place and pledged a full review would follow.
“Let’s be clear: This situation should never have taken place and cannot happen again,” their statement read. “We will work with stadium leadership to ensure that a full review of tonight’s events takes place immediately to evaluate the full chain of events, in order to put in place needed protocols and policies for all future games.”
The following day, Reyes also said, “We are working with the event organizers to conduct a comprehensive review of all safety and security protocols, as we continue to prepare for the World Cup in 2026.”
That is a major takeaway for local leaders as they now shift their focus to an even bigger spectacle coming to Miami in two years’ time, when it is one of the U.S. cities chosen to stage matches.
Hard Rock Stadium officials worked in collaboration with CONMEBOL, CONCACAF and local law enforcement to prepare for the Copa America final. Plans included an “increase” in law enforcement officers and security at the venue, roughly double what they said a full stadium warrants, officials said.
The stadium officials also said choosing to delay the match and to slowly reopen gates “to prevent stampedes and serious injury” were joint decisions made by those same parties. Once the stadium reached capacity, gates stayed shut. Shortly after the game began, alcohol sales at Hard Rock stopped. The focus later shifted to increasing security in an effort to ease the flow of fans leaving the stadium once the match concluded.
“We understand there are disappointed ticket holders who were not able to enter the stadium after the perimeter was closed, and we will work in partnership with CONMEBOL to address those individual concerns,” stadium officials said. “Ultimately, there is nothing more important than the health and safety of all guests and staff, and that will always remain our priority.”
The stadium officials added that they will “fully review the processes and protocols in place (at the final) and work with law enforcement to ensure such an event never happens again”.
Who oversaw security decisions at the final?
But who had ultimate control over the decisions pertaining to security for the Copa America final? That major detail, so far, has led to finger-pointing.
CONMEBOL levied a degree of blame on Hard Rock Stadium officials in its only statement addressing the security failings since the tournament concluded. When asked additional questions, a confederation source directed The Athletic to this statement:
“In this situation, CONMEBOL was subject to the decisions made by the Hard Rock Stadium authorities, according to the contractual responsibilities established for security operations,” CONMEBOL’s statement reads. “In addition to the preparations determined in this contract, CONMEBOL recommended to these authorities the procedures proven in events of this magnitude, which were NOT taken into account.”
Hard Rock officials responded with their own statement speaking of how the venue has hosted “hundreds of world-class events in its 37-year history”, including NFL Super Bowls and other international soccer matches. Those, too, stadium officials said, were a collaborative effort between the organizer, local law enforcement and the venue.
“Hard Rock Stadium worked collaboratively with CONMEBOL, CONCACAF and local law enforcement agencies on security both leading up to and during the Copa America tournament,” venue officials said. “The agencies met regularly, including daily security briefings throughout the month-long tournament. Hard Rock Stadium implemented, and in many cases exceeded, CONMEBOL’s security recommendations throughout the tournament and the final.”
Hard Rock officials said they would evaluate the protocols in place across all aspects of stadium operations, as they do after every major event.
It’s worth noting that, as the chaos unfolded at the final, CONCACAF told The Athletic that “matchday ops, security, the physical running of the tournament is 100 per cent CONMEBOL”.
What about the World Cup in 2026?
The knee-jerk reaction to what unfolded is to wonder how the U.S. will handle the World Cup in two years. Will the country be underprepared as fans of 48 nations (Copa America 2024 only had 16) arrive and will we see the kind of scenes witnessed in Miami repeated then?
Host cities for 2026 have already begun taking notice, with Quinton Lucas, mayor of Kansas City (which will host World Cup games at Arrowhead Stadium), saying “all will study the recent events” in Miami to ensure a safe experience next time.
It’s important to distinguish that the World Cup is run by world football’s governing body FIFA, which is an entirely separate entity from CONMEBOL, which organizes Copa America. The two groups have a working relationship, though, and FIFA ambassadors were present at some Copa America matches. While 2026 host cities may use Copa America as a case study for 2026, the tournaments are entirely separate.
FIFA and CONMEBOL also have varying levels of experience in running events of this magnitude. While CONMEBOL is familiar with running Copa America, this summer’s edition presented more logistical challenges than previous years. The tournament is also typically played on South American soil, where soccer is the most valued sport and security personnel are more familiar with the fandom around certain competitions.
There is no downplaying that a men’s World Cup is the biggest sporting spectacle on the planet, even larger than the Olympics. With that comes a level of expertise in planning. That said, it is worth noting that the 2026 tournament will feature the largest format yet, and the usual organizational structure for planning the event has changed. FIFA is now overseeing host city organizers, rather than host city organizers being overseen by FIFA’s now-gone Local Organizing Committee.
FIFA also has strict standards around World Cup games. Most notably, there is a section in its contracts with host cities that mandates several layers of security and a perimeter around each tournament venue. These perimeters will only be passable for ticketed fans or credentialed attendees.
U.S.-style tailgating, like we saw at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey for the three Copa America games it hosted this summer, will not be part of the World Cup atmosphere. Instead, there will be high levels of security around venues that extend well beyond the stadium gates. This, for example, could have gone a long way to alleviating the crowds around Hard Rock Stadium this past weekend.
One thing is certain, though: it is safe to assume no venue in the U.S. will ever want what happened in Miami on Sunday repeated on their watch.
(Top photo: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Source link : https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5644821/2024/07/18/copa-america-final-security-chaos/
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Publish date : 2024-07-18 09:07:30
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