Former U.S. National Men's Soccer player Oguchi Onyewu quickly apologized after threatening to choke his female co-host on live TV on Sunday.
Onyewu and his cohosts were commentating on the USMNT vs. Mexico game in Denver when the former soccer player and Mexican soccer star Janelly Farias got into a banter, Yahoo reported.
"I will come across the desk and choke you," Onyewu said to Farias.
Here was the “I will come across the desk and choke you” comment pic.twitter.com/t884CAr51F
— Corey (@coreyzinho) June 7, 2021
Onyewu made the comment while the two were discussing the USMNT's win over Mexico during the CONCACAF Nations League final, according to the New York Post.
While the host appeared to be joking and engaging in a friendly back-and-forth, viewers immediately took offense to his remark.
@OguchiOnyewu5
pic.twitter.com/mMC310vxqn— Alex M (@Redxsea) June 7, 2021
One Twitter user responded to a critic, saying the only reason Farias laughed was because "she had to."
"She couldn’t turn the discussion right then into one about threatening women to agree or suffer the consequences. It was a nervous laugh.It’s not funny at all. Zero," the Twitter user wrote.
She had to. She couldn’t turn the discussion right then into one about threatening women to agree or suffer the consequences. It was a nervous laugh.
It’s not funny at all. Zero.— LilYellowMini (@LilYellowMini) June 7, 2021
Joking live on national TV that you are gonna come across the table and choke your female colleague is probably not a good thing to do… and by probably not a good thing to do I mean… don’t fucking do it dude. #USMNT
@CBSSports
#CONCACAF
#USAvMEX— Gerren Peterson (@GerrenPeterson) June 7, 2021
You're wrong. It's not like "talking to a bud" in a friendly round of teasing; It's pure misogyny – hatred of women, especially, if they have the nerve to enter the sanctum sanctorum of the male bastion, ergo, sports commentary. Cowardly, he apologizes to save his butt.
— Judith Randall (@judrand05) June 7, 2021
Later in the program, Onyewu apologized to Farias, admitting to saying something "that should've never come out of my mouth."
Oguchi Onyewu apologizes on-air for pregame trash talk segment that included saying he'd "come across the table and choke" Janelly Farias pic.twitter.com/zbrKMms5aJ
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 7, 2021
"Eary in the show, you know, throughout our banter back and forth, I got carried away for sure," Onyewu said. "And I am deeply sorry for it and I apologize to you and I hope that you can forgive me and don't take any offense to it. So, I just really want to sincerely apologize for what I said."
Farias appeared to accept his apology, giving him a fist bump afterward.
"I think the fact that you can say that on national television speaks volumes of you," she said in response.
In addition to Onyewu's comment, the game itself also appeared to have a few wild moments.
During the game, a fan leaped over the railing behind the CBS broadcast in an attempt to flee from security.
The New York Post also reported that Mexico fans were throwing objects at the U.S. team. Beer cans were thrown during the game and homophobic chants were recited.