Overview
- The stoppage-time melee began when Paraguay captain Gustavo Gómez tussled with U.S. defender Alex Freeman over the ball near the touchline.
- Sebastian Berhalter stepped in to back Freeman as players and staff from both benches swarmed the scene before officials restored order.
- Video shows Freeman bleeding from the mouth, and organizers are assessing the footage to determine individual sanctions or formal warnings.
- U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino called the scenes unacceptable, while Paraguay’s Gustavo Alfaro emphasized longer-term objectives in his postmatch remarks.
- Earlier, Ricardo Pepi squandered a clear chance to seal the result, and next up are USA–Uruguay on Nov. 18 and Paraguay–Mexico in Mexico City.