Veracruz give up two goals while protesting, a breakdown

MLB

What Happened

The Veracruz players take the field in protest, refusing to play the opening minutes of the match against Tigres. Veracruz's representatives explain that the club has not paid the players for six months and the players are standing united to demand their back wages. The Tigres players, however, have no intention of delaying the game and quickly seize the opportunity to score two goals while Veracruz remains stationary. In the 1st minute, Tigres forward André-Pierre Gignac receives the ball and calmly slots it past the motionless Veracruz goalkeeper to give his team a 1-0 lead. The Tigres players appear almost apologetic, with Gignac acknowledging the unusual circumstances, saying, "I'm sorry about your protest, but we have to score goals - that's how we get paid." Tigres strike again in the 2nd minute, this time with Enner Valencia tapping in an easy finish after the Veracruz players deliberately pass the ball to the opposition. The Veracruz players express their frustration, lamenting that the Tigres players "don't know what it's like to not get paid" and that the situation is "really shitty." Despite the Veracruz players' continued protest, Tigres nearly score a third goal, but the striker hesitates and passes back to a teammate, who then buries the shot to make it 2-0. The Tigres fans erupt in celebration, taunting the Veracruz players for their protest. After the two quick Tigres goals, the match finally gets underway, with both sides scoring an additional goal each to finish the game in a 2-2 draw. However, the lasting image is of the Veracruz players' bold protest, drawing attention to their unpaid wages, even as Tigres capitalized on the unusual circumstances to build an early lead.

Full Transcript

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We had a match played under protest. Check this out. Vera Cruz players saying, you

haven't paid us. You've got debts six months back. Rep's like, oh my god, this

is awkward. And they're just going to stand it out. Everyone knew they were going

to do this. They told people, hey, we haven't been paid. They owe us money.

We're going to protest the first three minutes. This guy's like, yeah, but it's boring