Real Salt Lake Players Detail What Led To The Cancellation Of The LAFC Match

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Following the cancelation of the Real Salt Lake and Los Angeles Football Club game scheduled for 7 p.m. this evening, Nedum Onuoha and Zac MacMath spoke to the media to further explain how and why the cancelation of the game occurred.

“Ultimately it started when the first game in the NBA was talked about being boycotted,” Onuoha said. “For me personally, it was around 3, 4 o’clock when I started hearing significant chatter from the league and my peers about what we were going to do,” he added.

MacMath noted that a phone call around 2 p.m. was had between himself and Onuoha. During that quick and brief conversation, the two decided that it would be best if the game this evening is not played.

In solidarity with the players from both teams, tonight's match has been canceled. pic.twitter.com/ryxJhrVTk6

— Real Salt Lake (@realsaltlake) August 27, 2020

Onuoha and MacMath then spoke to their teammates about how they felt regarding the potential cancellation of the game and the response was unanimous towards cancelling it.

MacMath and Onuoha then reached out to players on LAFC’s team in which the two parties agreed that the fixture would subsequently be canceled.

However, when asked if the upcoming away fixture against Portland is going to also be cancelled, Onuoha admitted that he believes “the game against Portland is still scheduled to be played, but it is a day-to-day thing and he does not know what tomorrow will hold.”

“Go out and vote, vote for change in your community,” MacMath said when asked how he hopes the stance can impact and influence the public.

Jacob Blake

On Sunday evening in Kenosha, Wisconsin, Jacob Blake went around the front of a gray SUV with two police officers following behind him. When Blake entered the driver side of the car and opened the door, video shows the nearest officer grabbing Blake’s tank top and seven shots were fired. According to Blake’s attorney, his three children were in the car.

Blake was taken to the hospital where he is currently in stable condition in an intensive care unit, according to his attorney.

Blake was allegedly breaking up a fight between two women that had the police called to the home where Blake was at when he was shot.

Tom Hackett is a Utah Football and Real Salt Lake Insider for sports.ksl.com and host of the It’s Utah’s World Podcast (Utah Football themed) and The Lion’s Den Podcast (Real Salt Lake themed). Follow him on Twitter: @TomCantHackett.