This article will explore the recent incident that happened during the New York Red Bulls and San Jose Earthquakes. Let us check what the Red Bulls player Dante Vanzeir said and the reason for his suspension.
Who is Dante Vanzeir?
Dante Vanzeir is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a forward and winger for New York Red Bulls and the Belgium national team. He started his career with K.R.C. Genk and made his Belgian Pro League debut in 2016. Vanzeir had loan spells with Beerschot Wilrijk and KV Mechelen before joining Royale Union Saint-Gilloise in 2020.
He helped Union win the First Division B title and was their top scorer in the 2020-21 season. Vanzeir made his debut for the Belgium national team in 2021. In 2023, he joined the New York Red Bulls and scored his first goal in March.
What happened during the match?
During the recent soccer match between the New York Red Bulls and San Jose Earthquakes at the Red Bulls Arena on April 8, 2023, a physical altercation ensued between Dante Vanzeir of the Red Bulls and San Jose striker Jeremy Ebobisse, resulting in a 20-minute delay. Reports later emerged alleging that Vanzeir had used a racial slur against Ebobisse, who is black. In response, Major League Soccer (MLS) launched an investigation, reiterating its commitment to maintaining a zero-tolerance policy towards abusive and offensive language.
On Monday, Dante Vanzeir took full responsibility for his actions and publicly apologized for his behavior. He also promised to work towards bringing about positive change in both soccer and society and expressed regret for any harm or offence caused by his words.
A day later, the player, the club, and the head coach of the Red Bulls, Gerhard Struber, issued apologies for the incident, with Dante Vanzeir stepping away from the team until further notice. The team also stated that the forward addressed his teammates before leaving to avoid further distractions.
MLS announced its decision to suspend Dante Vanzeir for six regular-season games and impose an undisclosed fine for using racist language during the game. In addition, the striker is prohibited from playing in the U.S. Open Cup, in exhibition matches, or in the third-tier MLS Next Pro League until the suspension is over.
The league also mandated that Vanzeir participates in training and education sessions and a restorative practices program. MLS reiterated that it takes allegations of abusive and offensive language seriously and will not tolerate such behavior from its players.
Racism in US football
Racism in football has been a long-standing issue, and the United States is not immune to it. However, overt displays of racism at U.S. soccer matches are relatively rare compared to other countries like Europe and Russia. One reason for this is the ethnic diversity of the fan base, which is much younger compared to other countries. Nonetheless, several incidents have occurred in the past, shedding light on the problem of racism in U.S. football.
In 2008, during a Major League Soccer game between the Columbus Crew and the New England Revolution, a fan shouted out a racist slur after Revolution forward Kheli Dube, originally from Zimbabwe, scored a goal against the Crew. The incident was caught on video and subsequently posted on YouTube. MLS promised an investigation, and the offending fan was later banned from the stadium.
In 2013, two white coaches for the Los Angeles-based squad Chivas USA filed a discrimination suit against the team, claiming that Chivas had become prejudicial after terminating contracts with non-Mexican/Mexican-American players and coaching staff. The allegations were presented to a wider audience on HBO’s Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel, and MLS released a statement condemning discrimination and prejudice of any kind. However, nothing significant happened following the accusations, and the club was eventually folded after the 2014 MLS season.
In 2020, MLS and the National Women’s Soccer League launched investigations into allegations that Real Salt Lake and Utah Royal FC owner Dell Loy Hansen used racist language in the workplace. This incident once again highlighted the need for stricter measures against racism in football.
In September 2022, Taxi Fountas was accused of using the n-word toward Damion Lowe, which sparked outrage among football fans and players alike. Fountas later apologized for his actions.
Zero-tolerance policy
The most recent one was the New York Red Bulls forward Dante Vanzeir was suspended for six games and fined for using a racist slur toward San Jose Earthquakes player Jeremy Ebobisse. The incident once again brought the issue of racism in football to the forefront.
The MLS has a zero-tolerance policy towards abusive and offensive language and takes allegations of racism seriously. While progress has been made in addressing racism in U.S. football, there is still much work to be done to eradicate it completely. It is essential that football clubs, players, and fans continue to speak out against racism and work towards creating a safe and inclusive environment for everyone involved in the beautiful game.
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