MIAMI – Lack of crowd control and trespassing issues prompted chaos and a delay of over an hour before the Copa America final between Argentina and Colombia on Sunday at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens.
The Cafeteros bright canary yellow-clad fans counted on James Rodriguez to help the team win the country’s second Copa America. The loyal fans of the La Albiceleste wearing sky blue and white were confident Leonel Messi was bringing home the 16th Copa America.
The game couldn’t begin. Police officers weren’t letting anyone in after losing control. It was 8 p.m., and many ticketholders couldn’t get inside to find their seats. It was hot. Some fans were pushing. There was a stampede.
Before the chaos, tickets were hard to come by.
“I don’t have tickets but I am going to get in for sure,” Edwin Girardo, a Colombian soccer fan. “I am going to get in. I swear to God.”
There was a black market for jerseys between $30 to $50, likely imitations not made by Adidas since the official Colombia 24 jersey is $100. Street vendors walked by showing off bottles of what appeared to be aguardiente, the Colombian schnapps.
Law enforcement asked consumers to exercise caution.
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Some passionate fans said they were trying to find flaws in stadium security to celebrate. Miami-Dade police officers and stadium security guards were at the ready. Jerry Gean Louis said some fans had trespassed without tickets.
“There are a lot of people going into the stadium,” Louis said.
Gutierrez was among the fans who said they didn’t feel safe. She said she saw fans trying to circumvent security.
“They definitely need more officers here,” Gutierrez said. “We just saw people running around and they were trying to get in.”
It was hot. Shakira performed for 25 minutes. Leo Messi was injured. He was in tears. In the end, the game started on Sunday night and it wasn’t until Monday morning that Argentina scored — winning the match 1-0.
Hard Rock Stadium released a statement on Sunday, which you can read below.
“Hard Rock Stadium takes pride in hosting world-class events year-round in a safe and successful manner. For the Copa America Final, the venue worked in collaboration with CONMEBOL, CONCACAF and local law enforcement agencies. Preparations included an increase in the number of law enforcement officers and security on-hand, with more than double the personnel than a typical at-capacity stadium event.
“Throughout the afternoon and evening, there were numerous attempts by unruly fans without tickets to overpower security and law enforcement personnel at entry points to the stadium, putting themselves, other fans and security and stadium staff at extreme risk. Various stadium gates were closed and re-opened strategically in an attempt to allow ticketed guests to enter safely and in a controlled manner. Fans continued to engage in illegal conduct — fighting police officers, breaking down walls and barricades and vandalizing the stadium, causing significant damage to the property.
“When it became apparent that it would not be safe to start the match at 8 p.m., a joint decision was made to postpone. Shortly after 8 p.m., stadium officials, CONMEBOL, CONCACAF and law enforcement officers communicated and decided to open stadium gates for a short period of time to all fans to prevent stampedes and serious injury at the perimeter. The gates were then closed once the threat of fans being crushed was alleviated. At that time, the venue was at capacity and gates were not re-opened. Shortly after the match started, alcohol sales were stopped and event organizers instituted a detailed plan and increased security presence to allow for a peaceful egress upon the conclusion of the match.
“We understand there are disappointed ticket holders who were not able to enter the stadium after the perimeter was closed, and we will work in partnership with CONMEBOL to address those individual concerns. Ultimately, there is nothing more important than the health and safety of all guests and staff, and that will always remain our priority.
“We are grateful to the law enforcement officers who managed a difficult situation and prioritized the safety of the venue, the players, their families and the fans. We will continue to work with law enforcement to identify and hold criminals accountable who engaged in illegal conduct tonight. It is disappointing that a night of celebration was impacted by unlawful and unsafe behavior, and we will fully review the processes and protocols in place tonight and work with law enforcement to ensure such an event never happens again.”