Raccoon, chased by staff with trash cans, storms pitch during soccer game
By Amy Woodyatt and Jacob Lev, CNN
(CNN) — A furry pitch invader paused Major League Soccer play on Wednesday as a rogue raccoon ran onto the field during a match between the Philadelphia Union and New York City FC.
The athletic critter ran the length of the pitch at Subaru Park in Chester, Pennsylvania, deftly evading capture while sprinting stadium staff tried to apprehend it using a trash can.
“We need to find him a ball because he’s moving very well in the center of midfield,” a commentator quipped during the kerfuffle, adding that it was “entertainment of its own kind.”
The match was paused for five minutes as crews tried and eventually succeeded in capturing the animal, dubbed “Raquinha the Raccoon” by MLS.
The Union sent out an update saying that the raccoon was “put in good hands” and was safely released.
“Unofficially, Raquinho the Raccoon spent 161 seconds on the field tonight, which was the most by a raccoon in @MLS history,” the league communications said in a post on X.
NYCFC went on to take the game 2-1 after a second-minute goal by Alonso Martínez and a Hannes Wolf free-kick in injury time in the first half.
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