Hard Rock Stadium defended the security measures in place for Sunday's Copa America final after CONMEBOL accused the venue of ignoring advice that might have prevented the chaotic incidents that held up the game. The showpiece final between Colombia and Argentina at the Miami venue was delayed by 82 minutes as overwhelmed security struggled to get fans inside after ticketless fans rushed the entry points. CONMEBOL, the governing body for football in South America, suggested that local organizers had failed to follow suggested procedures such as setting up an outer perimeter to screen ticketless fans.
"We regret that the acts of violence produced by malicious people have tarnished a final that was ready to be a great celebration of sport," CONMEBOL said in their statement, adding that CONMEBOL "was subject to the decisions made by the Hard Rock Stadium authorities, according to the contractual responsibilities established for security operations."
Stadium officials said Tuesday that security measures were jointly decided by the venue, CONMEBOL and local law enforcement.
"Hard Rock Stadium has safely hosted hundreds of world-class events in its 37-year history, including Super Bowls, major international soccer matches, Formula 1, NFL and college football, headline concert tours and other global events," management of the venue said in a statement.
"In each of those, security was a joint effort amongst the organizer, local law enforcement agencies and the venue.
"As we've previously said, Hard Rock Stadium worked collaboratively with CONMEBOL, CONCACAF and local law enforcement agencies on security both leading up to and during the Copa America tournament.
"The agencies met regularly, including daily security briefings throughout the month-long tournament. Hard Rock Stadium implemented, and in many cases exceeded, CONMEBOL's security recommendations throughout the tournament and the Final."
The disturbing scenes before the final, won 1-0 by Argentina, immediately raised concerns for the 2026 World Cup which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Local police, overwhelmed by the situation despite the presence of 800 officers, said they detained 27 people and ejected 55 others from the venue.
It wasn't the only concerning security incident during the tournament.
On Wednesday, Uruguay players were involved in a brawl with Colombian fans in the stands after their 1-0 semi-final defeat in Charlotte, North Carolina.
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