David Zalubowski/AP
The U.S. Men's National Team notched a decisive 2-0 win over El Salvador in their Gold Cup quarterfinal match, but that was about the only thing that went smoothly on Wednesday night.
Two American players were bitten by Salvadoran opponents, and one of them, Jozy Altidore, also suffered a tweaked nipple.
The first bizarre incident occurred in the 57th minute. El Salvador was already trailing by two, and defender Henry Romero, in a seeming effort to agitate his American adversary, grabbed Altidore's nipple and gnawed at his upper back. Altidore was startled, knocking Romero to the ground.
Check out the entire scene.
Later in the same game, the captain of the Salvadoran team, midfielder Darwin Ceren, took a bite out of American defender Omar Gonzalez, who immediately grasped his shoulder in pain. El Salvador's unconventional tactics ultimately proved fruitless, as the USA held on for a 2-0 victory.
Altidore had a funny reaction to the incident - though his girlfriend might not be thrilled with his response.
American goalkeeper Tim Howard also weighed in, saying that while nipple twisting shouldn't be against the rules, "You can't go around biting people."
Neither Romero nor Ceren was disciplined for the rash of schoolyard injuries, though CONCACAF, which runs the Gold Cup, can still punish them retroactively. The USA will continue its run through the tournament when it plays Costa Rica on Saturday.
El Salvador player #4 rips the nipple of Jozy Altidore. #USAvSLV #GoldCup pic.twitter.com/cvnBfCDgDr
- Jeremy Singleton (@jeremy_ton) July 20, 2017Altidore: "My girl is mad at me. She's mad at me, she's mad at Romero. She's like 'Only I can bite u, only I can grab your nipples.' #usmnt
- Steven Goff (@SoccerInsider) July 20, 2017