New York City FC midfielder Jesus Medina was hit in the face by an object thrown from the stands by a fan at Providence Park late in the first half of the MLS Cup final on Saturday.
Medina was standing with his NYCFC teammates on the side of the field to celebrate Valentin Castellanos’ goal against the Portland Timbers when an object that appeared to be a drink can flew down from the stands and hit Medina in the face. The can then fell to the ground, with liquid spilling out of it.
Medina was shaken up but played on in the match, which NYCFC won 4-2 on penalty kicks after the teams played to a 1-1 draw through regulation and 30 minutes of extra time.
The Timbers said on Twitter that the fan who threw the object was ejected from the game and banned from the stadium.
“There is zero tolerance for behavior of that kind,” the Timbers said on Twitter.
Later Saturday afternoon, Portland police arrested Ivan Avila Carrillo, 24, who faces misdemeanor attempted assault and disorderly conduct allegations after police say he threw the can that struck the player.
Police also arrested Eduardo Ramos, 31, after he allegedly threw a can onto the field. Ramos faces a disorderly conduct accusation.
The Timbers were hosting the MLS Cup for the first time after winning the league championship in 2015 and losing in the MLS Cup final in 2018.
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