Costa Rica and Panama's Under-23 teams squared off in a CONCACAF qualifying match for the 2016 Olympics Tuesday evening, but there was more action on the sidelines than on the field.
While the teams played to a scoreless draw, Thomas Floyd of Goal.com noted that Costa Rica coach Paulo Wanchope got into a fight with an unknown man on the sidelines. The video can be seen below:
Floyd described some of the action as well:
The video shows Wanchope observing the match from the stands when another man appears to shove him in the back—prompting the Costa Rica coach to lash out and engage in a brief scuffle before security intervenes. The footage also shows Wanchope pushing a ball boy, though the 39-year-old appeared to simply be losing his balance after initially being shoved.
This incident happened a mere two weeks after Mexico fired its coach, Miguel Herrera, following allegations that he punched a reporter. Tom Marshall of ESPN FC referenced the Herrera firing when discussing Tuesday's developments:
Wiso Vazquez of ESPN Deportes radio added some context to Wanchope's fight:
Considering Costa Rica failed to even win a game at the Gold Cup, this incident will only further put Wanchope under the microscope. He was an assistant coach to Jorge Luis Pinto during the 2014 World Cup when Costa Rica eliminated England, Itay and Greece on the way to the quarterfinals, but this incident and the disappointment at the Gold Cup could leave his job in jeopardy.
He was officially named the coach on a permanent basis in February and played for Costa Rica in the 2002 and 2006 World Cups.
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Source: Scott Polacek http://ift.tt/1h1JbSs
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