A League Australian Football

A soccer match between rivals Melbourne Victory and Melbourne City in the Australian A-League was abandoned after fans stormed the pitch.

According to ESPN's Joey Lynch, fans planned on jointly walking out of the game in the 20th minute in protest of the Australian Professional Leagues' (APL) decision to sell the hosting rights of the men's and women's grand finals to Sydney for the next three years. Things took a turn when fans started throwing lit flares onto the field.

City goalkeeper Tom Glover reportedly had a flare land near him on the field and attempted to throw it back into the stands toward Victory supporters. Glover's actions "led to a host of fans storming onto the pitch," per Lynch.

In the ensuing fracas, Glover was hit in the head by a bucket filled with sand, which was needed to extinguish the flares on the field. He had blood coming out of his head as his teammates tried to remove him from the melee. Club officials said afterward that he received stitches and is believed to have suffered a concussion.

As players and coaches left the field while the invasion continued, fans attacked the goals and sponsor boards before being ushered off the pitch by members of Victoria Police's Public Order Response Team. According to Victoria Police, 150 to 200 Victory fans stormed the field. No arrests have been made amid an ongoing investigation.

"The Melbourne Victory fans who stormed the pitch, resulting in the assault of a player, a referee and a member of match day broadcast staff, should be subjected to the strongest possible sanctions," a statement from players union Professional Footballers Australia said. "We acknowledge the courage of players, club staff and referees who came to the aid of each other in circumstances that no one should ever be exposed to."

In addition to Glover, referee Alex King was also hit by the bucket, which caused a gash in his head. The game's referee coach was pushed into a fence during the chaos, and a camera operator appeared to be hit by one of the flares thrown onto the field.

Victory released a statement condemning the actions of the fans who stormed the pitch.

"The club would like to formally apologise to Tom Glover, match official Alex King and the camera operator as well as all players, officials and those who witnessed the appalling behaviour," the club stated.

This marks the first time that an A-Leagues match had to be abandoned because of violence.

Adelaide United midfielder Josh Cavallo announced in a Twitter video Wednesday that he's gay, saying he's "been fighting my sexuality for six years."

Cavallo, 21, explained he's seeking nothing more than equal treatment while no longer having to hide his sexuality (via Scott Gleeson of USA Today):

I'm a footballer and I'm gay. I have been fighting my sexuality for six years now and I am glad I can put that to rest. Growing up I always felt the need to hide myself because I was ashamed. Ashamed I would never be able to do what I loved and be gay. Being a closeted gay footballer, I've had to learn to mask my feelings in order to fit the mold of a professional footballer. ... Growing up being gay and playing football were just two worlds that hadn't crossed paths before. All I want to do is play football and be treated equally.

His announcement makes him the only player currently playing in a top-flight men's soccer league around the world who's publicly come out as gay, per CNN's Angus Watson.

Cavallo also posted a statement on Twitter:

Adelaide United manager Carl Veart released a statement in support of the midfielder.

"I have nothing but admiration and support for him, as do all the players and coaching staff," Veart said. "I want all my players to feel comfortable and happy being their own person, on and off the park. For Josh to be the best he can be and get the most out of his career, he needs the freedom to be himself and I fully support him."

He's also received numerous messages of support on social media from around the football world:

Cavallo played for two other Australian clubs, the Melbourne City youth side and Western United, before joining Adelaide in February. He signed a two-year contract extension with the Reds in May after a strong finish to the 2020-21 season.

Adelaide will kick off the new A-League campaign Nov. 20 when it visits HBF Park to take on the Perth Glory.