A 2-3 loss for the Esmeraldas was enough for them to start a full-out brawl at the Olímpico Atahualpa Stadium in Ecuador. The Esmeraldas were competing against Cotopaxi for a place in the Juegos Nacionales Prejuveniles, and they felt they were wronged. They claim some of the goals by Cotopaxi should not have been allowed because they were offside. Upset with the referees, they ended up yelling and punching them. One particularly athletic player came at a ref with a jumping kick right to the chest.
Cotopaxi also wasn’t safe, because as it turned out, anyone on the field was a target. Then, the Esmeraldas showed they had absolutely no chill by chucking water bottles at the public. Now the Ministerio de Educación de Ecuador has launched an investigation on whether the Esmeraldas started the fight. Planeta Deporte reports that women’s soccer is pretty new in Ecuador, and some say the brawl isn’t helping its reputation.