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A Copa Sudamericana match in Buenos Aires was abandoned after violent clashes between fans, with some being stripped and beaten.

Ten people were seriously injured and more than 300 arrested at Wednesday’s last-16 second leg between Argentine hosts Independiente and Universidad de Chile, according to local media.

A stun grenade was among the objects thrown by spectators while one fan fell from the top tier of a stand at the Estadio Libertadores de America in the Avellaneda area of the Argentine capital.

Violence flared at half-time as objects including toilets, sinks, pieces of masonry and seats were thrown from the away section on to the section below them housing home supporters.

Home fans then appeared to enter the away section early in the second half, attacking visiting supporters and forcing them to flee.

“Nothing justifies a lynching. Nothing,” said Chile president Gabriel Boric on social media., external

“What happened in Avellaneda between the fans of Independiente and Universidad de Chile is wrong in too many ways, from the violence among the supporters to the evident irresponsibility in the organisation. Justice must determine those responsible.”

Jose Antonio Viera-Gallo, the Chilean Ambassador to Argentina, told Chilean radio station Cooperativa: “There are injuries on both sides, some with knives. There is at least one Chilean seriously injured, hospitalised, a person in his 30s.”

Universidad de Chile director Daniel Schapira told Chilean radio station ADN: “We’re always experiencing the same thing, it’s desperate. It’s a social, cultural issue; this is much more than football. They gave us 3,500 tickets and look what’s happening.

“Terrible, this is unbelievable. It’s also an organisational issue: they can’t put the U fans above the Independiente fans. Everyone has problems here; this has become a circus.”

Independiente president Nestor Grindetti told TyC Sports that the safety precautions taken “were logical” and that the number of tickets given to the visiting team was agreed with Conmebol, South American football’s governing body.

Grindetti added: “[It was] reprehensible behavior from the U supporters. They destroyed our bathrooms, took artefacts and threw them in the stands. Violence I’d never seen before.

“The Independiente fans didn’t deserve such a thing. It’s clear the problem started and continued with just one fanbase.”

The game was initially suspended, with players leaving the field in the second half with the game level at 1-1 and the Chilean side leading 2-1 on aggregate.

Conmebol said the match had been cancelled because of “the lack of security guarantees from the local club and local security authorities”.

It added that the case would be referred to its judicial bodies and that information regarding the events would be sent to its disciplinary committee.

Chile president Boric added: “Now our priority as a government is to know the condition of our compatriots who have been attacked, ensure their immediate medical attention, and guarantee that those who are detained have their rights respected.”

Independiente’s Chile midfielder Felipe Loyola said on social media:, external “This level of violence cannot be tolerated. I feel devastated.

“It’s a huge shame. I still can’t believe what I saw today. This isn’t football; sport isn’t violence.”

Antonio Campos carries the blood of his legendary father, former Galaxy and Mexican national team goalkeeper Jorge Campos. Perhaps more important, he carries his family’s resilience after they worked to recover from the loss of their home in the Palisades fire.

During Antonio Campos’ first season with the Cal State Fullerton soccer team, he seeks to write his own story and help his team win.

“Just being in college is a success. I feel blessed,” said Antonio, who is studying business while fighting for minutes as a Division I goalkeeper.

He was born in Los Angeles and grew up in the Pacific Palisades area, the second son of Jorge Campos and Canadian Marcy Raston. His sisters chose to focus on volleyball: Andrea, the eldest, recently signed with a professional club in France after a successful college career. Antonio, on the other hand, was torn between basketball and soccer. At Loyola High, he played point guard, although his height, at 6 feet, limited his minutes.

Antonio Campos stands besides his parents, Marcy Raston and Jorge Campos, while wearing Cal State Fullerton gear.

(Courtesy of Campos family)

“Michael Jordan inspired me to play several sports,” said Antonio, who also played baseball and volleyball.

Training sessions with his father during the COVID-19 pandemic led Antonio to eventually focus on soccer and the goalkeeper position.

“With my dad, everything is intense. Lots of training on the beach, reflexes, technique, cutting crosses. Things he did better than anyone else,” said Antonio, who does not shy away from his surname but does not want it to define him.

“I don’t feel pressure. I prefer to teach the values my father instilled in me,” Antonio said.

Galaxy goalkeeper Jorge Campos celebrates during a 1996 game against the San Jose Clash at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.

(Getty Images)

He is part of the first generation in his family to attend college in the U.S. and he knows that his path extends beyond soccer.

In Mexico, Antonio also didn’t feel he had much of a future, as his own father, Jorge, criticized goalkeeper trainers in that country last year.

“It’s incredible that after 30 years, 40 years, we don’t have a modern goalkeeper, of that style, like Manuel Neuer, Ter Stegen,” Jorge said in a recent interview with ESPN.

Antonio was drawn to Cal State Fullerton as more than just a place to improve his soccer skills. The team’s philosophy, focused on service, ambition and personal development, resonated with him and his family.

“We emphasize being good people. If you go far, you’ll be better socially and culturally,” explained George Kuntz, the Titans’ veteran coach.

Antonio had had doubts about playing college soccer.

“I didn’t want to play at the university level because first-year goalkeepers hardly ever play,” he said.

However, he was assured that everyone would have real opportunities if they earned them through training.

Between the posts, he will have to fight for minutes against quality teammates Eoin Kennedy, Asger Hemmer and Emanuel Padilla. Fullerton opens the regular season on Thursday at Oral Roberts in Tulsa, Okla.

“I want to play, yes, but I also want my teammates to improve. It’s not just about me,” Antonio said.

In 2024, the Titans stood out for their offensive prowess, but they also ranked among the worst teams in the country in goals conceded. That’s why Fullerton reinforced its defense with four goalkeepers on the roster. Antonio is emerging as one of the promising players, with an athletic profile and an ambitious personality that has impressed the coaching staff.

“He’s brave, has good technique and is improving tactically,” Kuntz said.

Earlier this year, Antonio’s focus was pulled away from soccer by a family emergency.

In January, the Campos family home was one of more than 6,800 destroyed by the Palisades fire.

“We lost everything. I couldn’t get anything out,” said Antonio, who still gets emotional while talking about his family’s loss.

That day, he thought about going home, but he decided to go to soccer training after receiving a message from a friend. The change of plans kept him safe.

Antonio was accustomed to evacuations and didn’t worry about the nearby fires. But after learning that his home had burned down, the loss was both material and emotional.

“My mom was devastated. It was her first home in this country,” said Antonio, who highlighted his father’s strength.

“What surprised me was seeing my dad laughing and joking the next day. I never saw him cry. He set an example for us.”

Among the lost items, Antonio regrets he could not save a necklace that his uncle gave him before he died.

“He supported me when I quit basketball. He told me I was going to be a professional. It hurt me to lose that,” Antonio said.

However, the fire also brought the family closer together.

“The most important thing for me was that my family was safe,” Antonio said.

Now, the Campos family lives a few miles from Antonio’s new university while Antonio works to create his own story on the pitch — one that he hopes, like his father’s, can inspire others.

This article first appeared in Spanish via L.A. Times en Español.