NY Red Bulls’ supporter groups WALK OUT at kickoff vs. Dynamo in protest of Dante Vanzeir ban

The three New York Red Bulls supporters’ groups staged a strike on Saturday night just before kick-off of the team’s game vs. Houston Dynamo.

After a weather delay initially brought their protests to a halt, the Viking Army (VA), Empire Supporters Club and Torcida 96 poured out of the Red Bull Arena, leaving the stadium noticeably bare.

The trio announced earlier this week that they are protesting the suspension and treatment of star player Dante Vanzeir, who used racist language in last week’s 1-1 draw against San Jose.

The supporters stayed for the national anthem before departing, dissatisfied with the length of the suspension and the way coach Gerhard Struber handled the delicate situation.

Before they left, the South Ward fans repeatedly chanted “Fire Struber” in unison. Despite their departure, fans from the other corners of the stadium stayed to watch the action.

While the game was going on, the South Ward was noticeably more barren than before the protest

The view from the South Ward after the three groups of supporters left the Red Bull Arena

Before leaving the stadium, The South Ward stood in the air with scarves and sent a strong message

Fans from all three supporter groups have expressed their anger against the club and Vanzeir

San Jose player Jeremy Ebobisse said he heard a racist comment – and game footage showed players on both sides reacting by shoving Vanzeir away from the scuffle, resulting in an astonishing 21 minutes of added time.

Vanzeir was not taken off immediately after the 64th minute game and instead stayed on until Struber turned him on in the 87th.

Earthquakes head coach Luchi Gonzalez said he was “adamant about suggesting that the player shouldn’t be on the field anymore.”

A statement from the club apologized directly for the incident, calling Struber’s words and omission ‘inexcusable’.

The Red Bulls’ record signing has left the team, with an announcement ahead of his six-game suspension from Major League Soccer.

Vanzeir did take responsibility for what he did, saying in a statement that he “accepted any suspension, fine and advice” as a result of his sentence.

Meanwhile, in a Monday statement, Struber said he made “a decision that I thought was the best given the information I had at the time” and admitted he should have “immediately” replaced Vanzeir.

At Struber’s Thursday press conference apologized publicly. Front office NYRB called supporter groups to arrange a meeting this week, which also included Vanzeir and Struber.

“It’s bigger, it’s bigger than the game we all love to watch,” ESC board member Natalie Lazo said of the protest. “It hurts to do this, it hurts to turn your back on a team that has given you so much over the years.

Fellow ESC board member, Steve Ferrezza, echoed similar sentiments, suggesting that all three supporter groups were aligned on the strike.

“All three groups had the same idea of ​​walking out, you know, we made sure we had the same coverage of everything, but we just all knew, independently, that we couldn’t stand by and continue to support the club in the stands as we normally do.

“It’s important to us because we have to stand against racism.”

A section of fans has repeatedly called for Struber and Vanzeir to be fired over their respective involvements.

Supporters began to walk out of the stadium after the national anthem, as kick-off began

New York Red Bulls forward Dante Vanzeir has been suspended for six games for using racist language

In a joint statement, fan groups said they “will continue to protest” until change comes

Last week’s match was halted for over 20 minutes as the officials discussed how to proceed

Vanzeir, who represented Belgium at national level, previously played for Union SG