A huge brawl broke out on the field in Wisconsin during an arena soccer league game on Tuesday between Milwaukee and Tacoma. Players took shots at one another after the game ended.
The game at UWM Panther Arena in Milwaukee seemed to go smoothly enough and ended with Milwaukee’s 7-6 victory. But when it came time for the teams to perform the traditional after-game handshakes, things suddenly became contentious, Fox News reported.
The video of the incident shows Tacoma’s Stefan Mijatovic happily exchanging handshakes with members of Milwaukee’s team when all of a sudden Mijatovic was given a hard shove backward. That sent Mijatovic to run back into the mix with fists flying. And he was opposed by Milwaukee goalkeeper William Banahene.
While some players tried to separate their fellows from the fight, others waded in with swinging fists. The fight cooled down for a minute, but soon enough, it threatened to start all over again.
Watch:
Meanwhile in the MASL, which remains the most wildly entertaining thing in American soccer, dudes are just going full malice in the palace. At the center of it all is Stefan Mijatovic. I remember Stef from the 1st-ever TST, where he was banned for punching Noah Beck in the face. pic.twitter.com/4ha4iQChTi
— Pablo Iglesias Maurer (@MLSist) January 23, 2025
Ultimately, the Major Arena Soccer League (MASL) announced suspensions for several players.
Firstly, Mijatovic earned a four-game suspension “as a result of his in-game and post-game conduct, and for making unprofessional, offensive and abusive language / comments in-game and post-game.”
The league also said he was fined.
“In addition to the 4-game suspension (which will be served immediately), and due to the fact that Mijatovic was previously put on a league probation, Mijatovic will also be issued an undisclosed fine, two (2) penalty points and will need to complete an anger management course and provide the league with a certificate of completion,” the league said.
Further, Tacoma players Roman Torres and Luis Birrueta were handed one-game suspensions.
Meanwhile, Milwaukee players Qudus Lawal, Derek Huffman, and Tenzin Rampa were each issued a two-game suspension.
The league also issued a statement saying, “All MASL players, staff, and league personnel are expected to always demonstrate professionalism and self-discipline, regardless of whether extenuating circumstances exist.”
The Major Arena Soccer League has released the following statement and discipline regarding the incident between the Tacoma Stars and Milwaukee Wave on January 18th, 2025:@TacomaStarsSC:
— MASL (@MASLarena) January 22, 2025
Roman Torres: issued a post-game red card for violent conduct resulting in an undisclosed… pic.twitter.com/NbSgFsbndu
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