Abigail Velez was covering a USMNT watch party in Long Beach, California, on Thursday for ABC7 Los Angeles when she innocently started to trash talk the team’s next opponent.
Her obviously lighthearted comments came as she was wrapping up following the USA’s loss to Turkey. She was looking ahead to the next opponent, Bosnia and Herzegovina, when she said, “The next round, Team USA will play Bosnia next Wednesday and one thing about Bosnia, I could not point out where it is on a map.”
Velez continued, “I don’t know the first thing about Bosnia and I don’t want to know because Team USA, we’re back, we’re better than ever. That’s next Wednesday. Get prepared, Bosnia, because you don’t want it, you don’t want it like that, but you’re gonna get it. That’s next Wednesday.”
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Classic trash talk or so you would think. This was obviously not an attack on the people of Bosnia. It’s in the context of an upcoming World Cup match, but that didn’t keep some from getting their fanny packs in a bunch. Apparently enough people for her to issue an apology.
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Among those appearing to have their fanny packs in a bunch was the Bosnian national soccer team who tweeted, “My goodness, the stereotypes write themselves……”
That tweet includes Velez’s comments and has been seen more than 10 million times, at the time that I’m writing this. I would have considered that a funny response to Velez’s trash talk if they hadn’t provided an update, seemingly enjoying the fact that she had apologized.
“In a poor effort to have a little fun with World Cup competition, I took it too far and made a thoughtless comment on air that was insensitive and inappropriate. I apologize to the people of Bosnia and the Bosnian Football team,” Velez said in a statement.
“The World Cup is supposed to be about uniting communities around the world, and my comment didn’t reflect that spirit. Wishing all the teams the very best as they continue their World Cup journey.”
The stereotypes write themselves, indeed. There are too many soft people who can’t take a joke and who can’t handle a little trash talk at their expense without being offended and demanding an apology.
