Loyal San Diego midfielder Collin Martin was reportedly targeted by an opposition player with a homophobic slur – and Landon Donovan led his camp from the field
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Former Everton forward Landon Donovan led his San Diego loyal team to forgo their game against Phoenix Rising after a homophobic insult was reportedly directed at loyal player Collin Martin
The two teams were facing each other in a USL Championship game when Martin – the only gay professional soccer player in the United States – heard an alleged homophobic slur from midfielder Rising Junior Flemmings
Donovan asked referee and his counterpart Rick Schantz to take Flemmings out of the action at half-time, but both refused
American legend Donovan and his San Diego team returned to the field for the second half to take their knees, before returning and losing the game – which they were winning – in protest against the incident
Flemmings rebutted this claim on Twitter, posting: “Tonight, during our game against the San Diego Loyal, I was accused of insulting a San Diego Loyal player
Both sides agreed ahead of the game to suspend action in the 71st minute to take a stand against racism after Elijah Martin of San Diego was the target of a racial insult a week before
LA Galaxy II’s Omar Ontiveros has been suspended six games for comment and taken off his roster
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After his players lost the game to Phoenix, Donovan said, « We went through a very difficult incident last week in the Los Angeles game and we wished each other, our community, our players, at the club, at USL, that we wouldn’t put up with bigotry, homophobic slurs, things that don’t belong to our game
« I lost it because I know what this team went through I know how difficult it was for them to even take the field tonight given everything that happened, and that happening again a week later was just devastating for me
« If they don’t want to act, we have to act Our guys, to their great credit, said we weren’t going to put up with it
« They were very clear at that point that they were giving up any hope of making the play-offs, even if they beat one of the best teams in the league
« They said it was okay There are more important things in life and we have to stand up for what we believe in
Phoenix Rising FC, USL Championship, Collin Martin, Landon Donovan, Junior Flemmings
World News – UK – Ex-star of Everton Donovan’s San Diego Loyal forfeit game after ‘homophobic insult’
