Fireworks misfire into crowd after Angel City FC’s win over Orlando Pride

A Fourth of July firework display at an NWSL match descended into chaos in Los Angeles on Friday night after pyrotechnics were launched dangerously close to spectators, sending fans scrambling for safety.

The frightening scenes unfolded at BMO Stadium following Angel City FC’s two-nil victory over Orlando Pride, when a post-match fireworks show intended to mark the Independence Day weekend went badly wrong. According to the Daily Mail, hundreds of supporters had stayed behind after the final whistle to watch the display before the pyrotechnics began misfiring into the crowd.

Fans forced to flee the stands

Footage shared widely on social media showed supporters diving for cover as flames appeared to shoot in the direction of the stands rather than skywards. The Daily Mail reports that a number of attendees posted videos of the terrifying moment online, capturing the panic that spread through the ground as the display went awry.

One fan wrote alongside their clip: “Marked safe from Angel City’s firework show.” Another attendee, posting on Reddit, described the closing moments of the display as the most alarming part of the incident, writing: “The end is actually the worst. I saw several flames go into the crowd. It was terrifying!”

A further supporter recounted the fear felt inside the stadium, telling social media: “2 hours later and I’m still shaking. The dad next to me dove to cover his kids. Super scary and will have PTSD hearing fireworks in the future.”

A win overshadowed

Angel City FC’s result on the pitch, a comfortable two-nil win over Orlando Pride, was quickly overshadowed by the frightening scenes that followed the final whistle. The club had organised the firework show as part of the widespread Fourth of July weekend celebrations that took place across American sport on Friday.

There is no suggestion in the reporting so far of any injuries sustained during the incident, though the images and clips circulating online have raised serious questions over the safety measures in place for the display. Given the volume of eyewitness footage, the episode is likely to prompt scrutiny of how the pyrotechnics were arranged and positioned relative to the crowd.

Angel City FC, one of the NWSL’s most high-profile franchises, regularly draws large attendances to BMO Stadium, and Friday’s match-night display was intended as a celebratory addition to the fixture rather than the story of the night. For now, though, it is the misfiring fireworks rather than the result that has dominated conversation among supporters of the women’s game.