Israeli Forward Dor Turgeman Faces Hostile Montreal Fans, Scores Twice in MLS Match

Israeli soccer player Dor Turgeman experienced a hostile reception during New England Revolution's match against Montreal in Canada on the night between Saturday and Sunday. Montreal fans reportedly directed anti-Israel chants, including "death to Israel," at Turgeman throughout the game. After scoring his second goal in the 36th minute to put his team up 2-0, Turgeman responded by making a gesture indicating he could not hear the crowd, which further provoked the fans who threw beer cups at him.

Montreal goalkeeper Sebastian Breza pushed Turgeman during the match and received a yellow card for the incident. Breza later explained that his push was intended to energize the crowd and motivate his team, saying, "I wanted the crowd to get more into the game. I wanted to push the crowd so the crowd would push us."

The incident drew criticism on social media, with podcast host Ras Goldman condemning the chants as racist, emphasizing that the insults targeted Turgeman's Jewish identity rather than Israel itself. Turgeman scored his second consecutive goal in Major League Soccer (MLS) and his fourth of the season, also recording a career-high six shots on goal during the match.

New England Revolution currently ranks third in the MLS Eastern Conference with 30 points from 17 games, trailing Inter Miami by eight points and Nashville by ten, with one game in hand.