Tag: Jeremy Ebobisse

Vanzeir steps away from Red Bulls after admitting to racial slur vs. Earthquakes

The Belgian said he’d accept whatever suspension was coming his way

New York Red Bulls forward Dante Vanzeir has admitted to using a racial slur in Saturday night’s game against the San Jose Earthquakes, apologizing for his actions and later saying he’d be stepping away from the team “until further notice.”

After the game, Earthquakes forward Jeremy Ebobisse alleged an unnamed Red Bulls player used a a racial epithet in the second half. Replays showed that Vanzeir appeared to be the player in question, with Ebobisse and other Quakes players angrily confronting the Belgian.

In a Red Bulls statement released Monday night, Vanzeir offered an apology and said he’d accept whatever suspension was coming his way.

“I want to sincerely apologize to the players of the Earthquakes,” Vanzeir said. “I will do everything I can to be part of the change that needs to happen in this sport and our world.

“I also want to apologize to my teammates, coaches, the organization and our fans. I made a mistake and will take all the necessary steps to grow.

“I accept full responsibility for my actions. While I did not intend to cause any harm or offense with my language, I know that I did and for that I am deeply sorry.

“I will agree to any suspension, fine and counseling that is handed down by Major League Soccer and the club.

“I will use this opportunity to better myself, reflect and dedicate my time and efforts to work with organizations that tackle racial injustice.”

On Tuesday, the Red Bulls released another statement saying that Vanzeir “will step away from the club until further notice.”

In their first statement, the Red Bulls added that they “wholeheartedly apologize for the unacceptable events that transpired on Saturday night during the match with the San Jose Earthquakes.

“The words and inaction was inexcusable, and we believe there is never a place for it.”

Red Bulls head coach Gerhard Struber has been under fire for his decision to not sub Vanzeir out of the game — which Earthquakes coach Luchi Gonzalez said he’d requested.

Struber has now said that his decision to leave the forward in the game was a mistake.

“During our match on Saturday, I made a decision that I thought was best given the information I had at that moment,” Struber said.

“While there was a lot of uncertainty at the time, with the information that I now know, the right decision would have been to immediately remove Dante Vanzeir from the game.”

Vanzeir joined the Red Bulls this past offseason from Belgian club Royal Union Saint-Gilloise for a fee of over $5 million, making him the club’s second-highest signing ever.

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Earthquakes allege use of racial epithet during Red Bulls draw

MLS is investigating an alleged use of a racial slur

San Jose Earthquakes forward Jeremy Ebobisse has alleged that a New York Red Bulls player used a racial epithet during a 1-1 draw between the clubs on Saturday night.

Per Ebobisse, the incident happened amid a scuffle following a clash between Red Bulls defender Dylan Nealis and San Jose midfielder Judson. Referee Ismir Pekmic booked Nealis’ brother Sean for his reaction, and Judson for his challenge. Sometime in the moments that followed, Ebobisse says that a player he declined to name used a racial epithet.

“Late tackles on our end, or their end, that’s all part of the game. What we saw tonight should not be part of the game,” Ebobisse told reporters following the match. “What started with a foul that was deemed to be committed by Judson, and a yellow card. Fast forward a few minutes, seconds, it ended with a racial epithet being used.”

San Jose players could be seen reacting en masse in the moments after the issue seemed to be calming down, with their attentions centering on Red Bulls forward Dante Vanzeir. Replays showed Ebobisse vehemently arguing with Vanzeir before players from both clubs ended up in a shoving match.

The situation saw Pekmic bring both coaches over to explain the allegation, and eventually saw a VAR examination of video footage to see if officials could conclusively determine what had been said, and whether it merited a red card.

That stoppage lasted 19 minutes, but apparently ended inconclusively.

Ebobisse, who is Black, said that he wanted to respect the investigation, and that “what’s important for me to share is that I know what I heard.”

The Earthquakes forward added that San Jose coach Luchi Gonzalez told his team he’d back them if they wanted to walk off the field, but said the team ultimately chose to play on.

“The reason why I felt, after a lengthy conversation, that we should continue on with the game is because that the player who said the word claimed that it was not aimed at any of us,” said Ebobisse. “Whether that is a good-faith comment or not, we’ll see how the investigation goes on.”

“Just a difficult moment. Once again, players being put in charge, forced to make a decision, manage all sorts of emotions because the system is not robust enough to capture moments and gain clarity within a matter of minutes, seconds, that these actions happen,” added Ebobisse.

“This is what it is to be Black in these situations. You can’t be wrong, you can’t overstep anything outside of what you know to be fact. So, you have to proceed with absolute caution, even in moments of hurt, where you are feeling rather powerless to handle the situation to the degree that you would like to.”

Shortly after the match, MLS confirmed that the incident will be investigated.

“Major League Soccer is aware of an incident wherein a New York Red Bulls player is alleged to have used language that violates league policy during the 54th minute of the New York Red Bulls vs. San Jose Earthquakes match tonight,” read the statement. “MLS has zero tolerance for abusive and offensive language and takes these allegations seriously. An investigation into this matter will begin promptly. Further information will be provided upon completion of that investigation.”

The Red Bulls issued a statement of their own pledging to cooperate with the investigation.

“The New York Red Bulls take these matters very seriously and promptly reported the allegations to Major League Soccer,” read the team statement. “The New York Red Bulls do not condone any form of harassment or discrimination.”

Gonzalez confirmed to reporters that he told Red Bulls head coach Gerhard Struber that he should, in the meantime, substitute the player in question. “I was adamant to suggest that the player should not be on the field anymore,” said Gonzalez.

That would follow a precedent set during the last incident involving an alleged use of a slur in a game. In 2022, Inter Miami players alleged that D.C. United forward Taxi Fountas had used an epithet, and though referee Ismail Elfath did not have evidence to eject any player in that situation, Miami insisted that Fountas should be removed from the match at the first opportunity. United head coach Wayne Rooney agreed, and substituted Fountas at the next stoppage.

In this case, Struber did not apparently agree with Gonzalez, as Vanzeir stayed in the match until the 86th minute.

“I trust my players. If they say something, they’re high-character human beings before [being] professional soccer players, so I would trust that it’s true,” said Gonzalez. “So that’s something I think the referees and the coaching staff in New York, whether true or not, I think could could act in terms of the player not being a part of the game anymore.”

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USMNT striker stock watch: Josh Sargent is back!

Remember when Josh Sargent was the USMNT’s top striker? Those days may be returning.

The U.S. men’s national team is set to play a pair of friendlies in Europe later this month as part of their final preparations for the 2022 World Cup.

First, the USMNT will face Japan in Germany on Sept. 23, then it will take on Saudi Arabia in Spain on Sept. 27. With just two matches remaining for the U.S. until the World Cup begins, there’s not a lot of time left for experimenting or introducing new players.

With that being the case, USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter has hinted that strikers who already have experience in the national team might have an advantage over guys who are still trying to break into the squad.

“What we’re trying to do [is] look at the profile who fits what we’re trying to do the best,” Berhalter said at a Nike event in New York last week, via Steven Goff of The Washington Post. “It may not be the best forward … it’s just what we think fits our team.”

So, who fits the team best?

The latest installment of our USMNT striker stock watch series is dropping now ahead of the release of the September friendlies roster, with players ranked 1-4 considered the most likely candidates for call-ups this month.

USMNT striker stock watch: Pefok and Vazquez make strong cases

Which strikers will the USMNT take to the World Cup? Jordan Pefok and Brandon Vazquez are making strong cases

As the 2022 World Cup continues to draw closer, fans of the U.S. men’s national soccer team seem to have a pretty good guesstimate of a first-choice roster with one position in particular standing out as a question mark: striker.

Who will start at the No. 9 spot for the USMNT in Qatar this summer, and who will back him up? The position appears to be totally up for grabs, so we’ve been monitoring the stock of the notable U.S.-eligible striker candidates.

Stateside, the MLS playoff race is heating up, and in Europe, the 2022-23 season has kicked off, providing a good opportunity for a stock watch update.

Let’s get to the list!

USMNT striker stock watch: Dike’s back, Ebobisse’s heating up

Who will start at No. 9 for the USMNT at the World Cup? Right now, Jesús Ferreira leads the striker stock watch power rankings.

If everyone’s healthy, U.S. men’s national team coach Gregg Berhalter probably has a pretty good idea of his preferred starters for the World Cup this fall – at most positions, anyway.

Most spots in the XI have obvious first-choice options, but striker remains a big question mark for the USMNT, at least in the eyes of fans and pundits.

The top candidates for the No. 9 role can make Berhalter’s job easier by performing for their club teams and creating some separation in the competition leading up to November.

We’re going to be periodically checking in on the top striker candidates leading up to the World Cup with our new striker stock watch series. With MLS teams hitting midseason and European clubs beginning preseason, now’s a good time to start.

Let’s get to the list!