“A word was used that I think is unacceptable in society,” Neville mentioned. “A word was used that I think is the worst word in the world.”
Miami defender DeAndre Yedlin mentioned Lowe was strolling away after a tussle with Fountas when “the guy called him the n-word” and teammate Aimé Mabika reacted angrily. Lowe, who’s Jamaican, and Mabika, who’s Zambian, are Black. Yedlin mentioned Miami determined to “not continue until something was done with that player.”
Fountas, who scored his team-leading twelfth aim of the season moments earlier than, was not made out there for remark amid an investigation by the membership, MLS and the Professional Referee Organization, a United spokesman mentioned. On Monday, Fountas issued an announcement on social media denying the allegations and mentioned he was “saddened to be falsely accused.”
“I did not use the word I am being accused of using,” Fountas wrote in an Instagram post. “That despicable racial slur is one I denounce and did not use. We had a hot discussion on the field. But I have not racially abused anyone. I firmly reject racism in any form. It is despicable.”
Referee Ismail Elfath informed a pool reporter that no official had heard racist or abusive language and that none was detected by way of video evaluation.
“The referee came over and spoke to me and Phil, and there was a complaint, which I’m sure will get investigated,” United Coach Wayne Rooney mentioned. “So there’s nothing really much more I can say.”
In an announcement, United mentioned: “D.C. United are aware of the allegations involving a player during the match against Inter Miami CF. The club will work closely with Major League Soccer and Inter Miami to investigate the incident.”
“MLS has zero tolerance for abusive and offensive language and we take these allegations very seriously,” the league mentioned in an announcement. “An investigation into this matter will begin promptly.”
Six weeks after United made Christian Benteke the costliest participant in membership historical past, Rooney lastly had a chance to deploy his prize summer season signing alongside Fountas, the membership’s lone all-star who had missed Benteke’s first 4 matches with a concussion.
Sure sufficient, Benteke and Fountas discovered the online Sunday. But Miami bought a pair of objectives from Leonardo Campana and, after Fountas exited, a 94th-minute strike from Gonzalo Higuaín.
For a last-place D.C. workforce (7-19-6) that had failed to attain in eight of its previous 10 matches, the burst of offense was welcome. Fountas’s comeback, nonetheless, was soured by the allegation, as was the essential win for a Miami workforce within the midst of a playoff push.
“It makes a really nice moment for us kind of dark,” mentioned Yedlin, a member of the Black Players for Change group in MLS. “This is something I’ve been outspoken about my whole career, so it’s really unfortunate to see it live.”
Benteke opened his D.C. scoring account within the twenty second minute. United midfielder Chris Durkin curled a one-time service into the field that the Belgian striker stabbed residence on the far publish.
Miami (12-13-6) drew degree within the thirty ninth on Campana’s scrappy end during a goalmouth scramble, then took the lead within the 53rd because the Ecuadoran striker once more completed from shut vary.
Fountas pulled United degree 4 minutes later. Miami cleared a D.C. free kick to the highest of the field, the place the Greek ahead launched a one-time volley that took a wholesome deflection on the way in which in.
But the next delay, by which Elfath stopped to convene with Rooney and Neville a number of instances, and Fountas’s 66th-minute substitution halted any momentum from United’s equalizer.
“We were trying to put pressure,” Benteke mentioned. “With that break, it just slowed down the game.”
Both groups pushed for a winner earlier than Miami broke via on a counterattack within the fourth minute of stoppage time. Indiana Vassilev touched a move huge to Yedlin, whose low cross was steered in by Higuaín.
“It doesn’t even feel like a win,” Yedlin mentioned. “Now we’ll see what the MLS does about [the accusation]. My eyes will be on that a lot. It’s now up to them to take action and take a stand and show that this not only has no place in the game but no place in society.”
Here’s what else to find out about D.C. United’s defeat:
Ex-England teammates meet
The match was the primary assembly between Rooney and Neville since Rooney took over as United’s coach in July. They had been teammates at Manchester United in 2004-05 and with England’s nationwide workforce from 2003 to 2007.
Neville praised Rooney for his resolution to take away Fountas from the sport.
“I must give massive, massive respect to Wayne Rooney for dealing with it in the way that he did,” Neville mentioned. “I’ve always known him as a class act. I think today he went up in my estimation more than he’s ever done, more than any goal he’s ever scored.”
International break looms
United is off subsequent weekend as most of MLS goes on hiatus for the ultimate worldwide window earlier than the World Cup in Qatar as nationwide groups fine-tune their techniques and get a remaining have a look at gamers earlier than submitting their rosters. D.C. visits CF Montreal on Oct. 1 earlier than internet hosting FC Cincinnati on Oct. 9 to shut the season.
Scott Allen contributed to this report, which has been up to date.