The United States men's national team 3-0 win over Mexico in the Concacaf Nations League semifinal on Thursday was halted before the completion of second-half stoppage time due to the referee's discretion.
Referee Ivan Barton, who had already handed out four red cards in the game, paused the game in the 89th minute due to anti-gay chanting heard from the crowd at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
Play resumed, and with four minutes left to go in injury time, Barton blew the final whistle after a goal kick by U.S. keeper Matt Turner was once again greeted by the anti-gay chant.
Concacaf told ESPN after the match that the game was not abandoned due to federation protocols regarding the chant, but at the «referee's discretion.» The Mexican Football Federation (FMF) has struggled in recent years with curtailing the anti-gay chant that is typically yelled during opposing goal kicks.