Assistant referee has to leave US Gold Cup quarter-final against Canada after being shot in the face at close range with the ball and left ‘bloody’
An assistant referee had to leave the quarter-final of the CONCACAAF Gold Cup between the USA and Canada after suffering a head hemorrhage following a punch to the face during the opening minutes of the match.
The linesman, Christian Espinosa, received a scoreless ball in the face within the first 10 minutes of Sunday’s game and required immediate medical attention after Canadian left back, Kamal Miller, kicked the ball out of the tires from the right side of the field, after a battle for possession with American midfielder Gianluca Busio.
The eviction was so powerful that Espinosa got down on his knees before covering his face for cameras because he appeared to be in pain and was bleeding from his head, according to Marka.
Marco Ortiz – the main official of the match – was forced to suspend play so that Espinosa could receive medical treatment. The amount of playing time required to deal with the linesman – 11 minutes – was added as extra time at the end of the first half.
At this point it is still unclear whether the assistant referee has broken anything, although the fact that he was bleeding could indicate a broken nose. It is also possible that Espinosa suffered a concussion from the blast.
Assistant referee Christian Espinosa falls down after being hit by the ball during USA-Canada
Espinosa appeared to be bleeding from his head as fears grew that he had suffered a concussion
“Good news, he’ll be fine!” Fox Sports sideline reporter Jenny Taft later shared.
Footage from the match showed medics cutting open Espinosa’s shirt to view other possible injuries while removing the microphone attached to his match kit, which is usually always sponsored by FIFA.
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Espinosa was then given a towel to cover his face. There was blood on the silver screen as he walked out of the high-stakes match between the two North American nations.
The winner of Sunday’s game will face Panama in the semifinals on July 12.
Espinosa was escorted off the field after shooting in the face at close range
Panama defeated Qatar 4-0 in the quarter-finals to become the only Central American team left in the tournament.
Jamaica will face Mexico in the other semi-final, also on July 12.
The last two Gold Cup finals were both El Tri and USA with both teams winning one.
The Star and Stripes remain the reigning champions of the tournament after beating Mexico 1-0 in 2021. Mexico beat the USA 1-0 in Chicago in 2019, marking the last time El Tri won the CONCACAAF’s ultimate prize won.
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