The “beautiful game” marred by violence

Several ugly incidents occurred during soccer games in the Americas this weekend:

* A young boy was killed after being hit by a stray firework rocket during the Emelec-Barcelona match in Guayaquil, Ecuador. Eleven-year-old Carlos Cedeno died from massive blood loss after being struck in the chest by the Bengal rocket.

Despite the increased security presence at matches between the two rivals, local media reports say that police did not conduct body searches of the roughly 60,000 fans who packed the Estadio Monumental. Meanwhile, nobody has taken the blame for the tragedy as police, Ecuador’s national soccer board, and local soccer officials point the finger at one another.

* Two people died in a gunfight before the Cruzeiro-Atletico Mineiro derby in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Cruzeiro won the match 4-3, but not before tempers flared when Atletico’s Coelho elbowed Cruzeiro striker Kerlon for performing his “seal dribble” (video link):

Sources (English)- Bangkok Post, International Herald Tribune, People’s Daily Online, The Offside, YouTube

Sources (Spanish)- El Comercio, El Universo