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| Police put a man in handcuffs after fans rushed the gates at Hard Rock Stadium ahead of the Copa final. Getty Images |
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -- The start time for the final of the 2024 Copa América between Argentina and Colombia was delayed for over 75 minutes on Sunday following a security breach in which fans broke through one of the main entry gates.
The game, which was originally scheduled to start at 8 p.m. ET, kicked off at 9:22 p.m., and after 120 minutes of regular and extra time Argentina pulled out a 1-0 victory to win the Copa América -- their third consecutive major tournament title and a record 16th trophy in the South American tournament.
The delays before kickoff began when, earlier in the day, video on social media showed fans breaking through the southwest gate at Hard Rock Stadium, with some being tackled or otherwise apprehended by police and security personnel. A security guard manning an interior entrance to the stadium confirmed to ESPN that the southwest gate at the venue had been locked down because of a breach.
Both teams were taken off the field during their respective warmups as the chaos brewed outside.
The stadium briefly went on lockdown, before Hard Rock Stadium issued the following statement: "In anticipation of tonight's Copa America Final, thousands of fans without tickets attempted to forcibly enter the stadium, putting other fans, security and law enforcement officers at extreme risk. Security has shut the gates in order to control the entry process at a much slower rate and ensure everyone is kept safe.
"As a result, tonight's match start time has been delayed until further notice to accommodate for ticketed fans to be able to safely enter the stadium."
Organizers ultimately reopened gates to allow fans to enter the stadium as people at the front of lines were beginning to get crushed by those in behind them. A Hard Rock Stadium spokesperson told reporters: "In collaboration with CONMEBOL and law enforcement officers, the decision was made to open the stadium gates for a short period of time to all fans in order to prevent stampedes and serious injury at the perimeter. There was serious concern of fans being crushed in an attempt to enter."
Earlier in the day an officer for the Miami-Dade Police Department told ESPN that all gates were locked down after the initial rush of fans, while another officer said it kept changing, describing the situation as "very fluid."
Argentina midfielder Alexis Mac Allister's mother Silvina said she needed her son's assistance to enter the stadium and described the situation outside as "inhumane." She said the two were in constant communication as Mac Allister waited in a Hard Rock Stadium tunnel to assist his family inside.
"Alexis had to leave the locker room to help us get in because he was worried. I thought [the game] couldn't continue," she said in a post on social media. "I thought the game wouldn't be played because if the players thought they would resolve this, impossible that it would be played. It was inhumane. We are okay.
"We were in communication with Alexis the whole time, but he said he would stay outside until we would come in. he waited for us until we came in. We hugged him once inside, left him to be calm and told him to win."
Reports said that an estimated 7,000 people without tickets gained entry to the stadium, and prior to kickoff, fans were crowding the aisles and walkways. Security personnel were seen clearing those areas once the game had begun and checking to see if fans without seats had tickets.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and chief public safety officer James Reyes released a statement during the game expressing outrage at what they had seen and saying the county assigned more than 550 police officers to the stadium detail, plus other personnel from neighboring departments.
"Let's be clear: This situation should have never taken place and cannot happen again," read the statement. "We will work with stadium leadership to ensure that a full review of tonight's events takes place immediately to evaluate the full chain of events, in order to put in place needed protocols and policies for all future games."
The Miami-Dade Police issued the following statement after the initial lockdown of the stadium occurred: "We have had several incidents prior to the gates opening at Hard Rock Stadium for the COPA America final game. These incidents have been a result of the unruly behavior of fans trying to access the stadium.
"We are asking everyone to be patient, and abide by the rules set by our officers and Hard Rock Stadium personnel."
Video and images taken by ESPN showed fans crowding around the southwest gate waiting to be let in. Fans have been congregating at Hard Rock Stadium since well before the planned kickoff at 8 p.m. ET, with one parking lot attendant saying he had been called to work early given that fans started to arrive as early as 6 a.m.
A handful of people could be seen receiving medical treatment and asking for water in the sweltering South Florida heat. Officers were able to push the crowd behind black gates and lock down the entrance so that no one could get inside, although plenty of fans had already made it to their seats before then.
A sellout crowd of more than 65,000 was expected for the championship match of the South American tournament, with Argentina looking to defend its title.
It was unclear which of the fans who gained entrance during the rush had tickets to the match. CONMEBOL, South America's governing body, released a statement a day before warning that fans must have tickets to enter the venue.
The Copa América has been plagued by organizational and planning issues almost from the moment the tournament started, with teams complaining about field conditions, field sizes, the state of training fields, as well as crowd control issues.
At the conclusion of Wednesday's semifinal when Colombia beat Uruguay, Uruguayan players Darwin Núñez and Ronald Araújo went into the stands at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, when they thought family members were in danger from opposition fans.
ESPN writer Lizzy Becherano contributed to this story, while information from The Associated Press was also used.
- Jeff Carlisle, U.S. soccer correspondent
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