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Watch: Player Wields Corner Flag as a Weapon During Soccer Brawl
A soccer player from Ecuador got creative when a brawl broke out during a match this week.
Independiente del Valle faced off in a U-20 Copa Libertadores semifinal match against River Plate of Uruguay on Wednesday. The teams clashed after the final whistle and Independiente defender Angelo Preciado was chased by several players from the Uruguayan club.
Preciado made a bee line for the corner of the pitch, where he pulled the flag out of the ground and used it to fend off the opponents.
Preciado’s team was on the winning side, prevailing 3–2 on aggregate. CONMEBOL is expected to hand out disciplinary measures as a result of the fracas, though Independiente manager Santiago Morales said he is hopeful Preciado will not be suspended for the final against Nacional of Uruguay.
Dan Gartland is the writer and editor of Sports Illustrated’s flagship daily newsletter, SI:AM, covering everything an educated sports fan needs to know. He joined the SI staff in 2014, having previously been published on Deadspin and Slate. Gartland, a graduate of Fordham University, is a former Sports Jeopardy! champion (Season 1, Episode 5).