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Jamaican side Mt. Pleasant FA will face the LA Galaxy in the Concacaf Champions Cup shorthanded after several players saw visas denied by the United States.
Mt. Pleasant is making its first appearance in the Champions Cup, the region's flagship club competition. The first leg of the round-of-16 matchup will be held on Wednesday, March 11, in Carson, California.
"We don't want to just show up for the game, we want to be able to compete, but we are not being given the opportunity to be at our best," Mt. Pleasant sporting director Paul Christie told the Jamaica Observer.
Christie added that Mt. Pleasant would be forced to bring “seven or eight academy kids" to make up the gameday roster.
Multiple reports stated that as many as 10 Mt. Pleasant players were denied entry into the United States, including several Haitians.
As part of a travel ban introduced in June, the Trump administration banned Haitian nationals from entering the country. That ban does include an exception for athletes, coaches, support staff and immediate relatives for the World Cup, Olympics and "other major sporting event(s) as determined by the Secretary of State."
When contacted by USA TODAY Sports, a U.S. State Department spokesperson said it had "issued visas to all Jamaican athletes who completed applications to play in the tournament."
The spokesperson would not comment on whether the Concacaf Champions Cup was considered a "major sporting event" under the exception, citing visa confidentiality laws.
Concacaf said in a statement that the match would go forward despite the visa rejections, adding that it has been working with Mt. Pleasant to resolve the issue as much as it can.
"Concacaf is aware of the situation and has been in communication with, and providing support to, Mount Pleasant FA regarding the US visa application process for several of its players ahead of the club's Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16 first-leg match against LA Galaxy in Los Angeles," a spokesperson said.
"In accordance with the competition regulations, each participating club may register a roster of up to 35 players and is responsible for submitting visa applications within the timeframe required by the diplomatic missions of the countries to be visited.
"Considering the competition regulations, and that the club had ample time to complete the visa application process following the competition's official draw in December 2025, the series will proceed as scheduled."
Mt. Pleasant will have a full complement of players available when it hosts the second leg on March 19 in Kingston.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mt. Pleasant to face LA Galaxy shorthanded after visa rejections
Continue reading...
Mt. Pleasant is making its first appearance in the Champions Cup, the region's flagship club competition. The first leg of the round-of-16 matchup will be held on Wednesday, March 11, in Carson, California.
"We don't want to just show up for the game, we want to be able to compete, but we are not being given the opportunity to be at our best," Mt. Pleasant sporting director Paul Christie told the Jamaica Observer.
Christie added that Mt. Pleasant would be forced to bring “seven or eight academy kids" to make up the gameday roster.
Multiple reports stated that as many as 10 Mt. Pleasant players were denied entry into the United States, including several Haitians.
As part of a travel ban introduced in June, the Trump administration banned Haitian nationals from entering the country. That ban does include an exception for athletes, coaches, support staff and immediate relatives for the World Cup, Olympics and "other major sporting event(s) as determined by the Secretary of State."
When contacted by USA TODAY Sports, a U.S. State Department spokesperson said it had "issued visas to all Jamaican athletes who completed applications to play in the tournament."
The spokesperson would not comment on whether the Concacaf Champions Cup was considered a "major sporting event" under the exception, citing visa confidentiality laws.
Concacaf said in a statement that the match would go forward despite the visa rejections, adding that it has been working with Mt. Pleasant to resolve the issue as much as it can.
"Concacaf is aware of the situation and has been in communication with, and providing support to, Mount Pleasant FA regarding the US visa application process for several of its players ahead of the club's Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16 first-leg match against LA Galaxy in Los Angeles," a spokesperson said.
"In accordance with the competition regulations, each participating club may register a roster of up to 35 players and is responsible for submitting visa applications within the timeframe required by the diplomatic missions of the countries to be visited.
"Considering the competition regulations, and that the club had ample time to complete the visa application process following the competition's official draw in December 2025, the series will proceed as scheduled."
Mt. Pleasant will have a full complement of players available when it hosts the second leg on March 19 in Kingston.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mt. Pleasant to face LA Galaxy shorthanded after visa rejections
Continue reading...
