The words “savage attack” seldom come up in the context of a story about arrests made by Canadian police. But those are the words used to describe what happened at the end of the Argentina-Chile match of the World Cup U-20, after two Chilean players were expelled and Argentina went on to win the match 3-0. Spain’s 20 Minutos reports that a Chilean journalist witnessed the arrest and gave this account:

“We don’t know exactly where the police’s attitude came from but from where were, about 50 meters away, we could see how the police savagely attacked the players,”said [a reporter] in a telephone dispatch from Toronto.

According to reports corroborated by more than one journalist, the players were handcuffed and reporters were restricted from filming what was going down.

Apparently things got worse when the arrested team members, who were detained in a paddywagon, attempted to escape from the vehicle through windows when police activated a tear gas bomb inside. Watch a video account from Chilean television after the jump.

Chile’s La Tercera reports that one team member affected by the attack fainted after receiving electrical shocks dealt by tazers:

“We went to talk to fans. We started arguing because they wouldn’t let us pass. All of a sudden some guy points a gun t, I didn’t know what it was, and they gave me some electrical shocks. I fainted and when I came to, I saw 20 policemen hitting me and throwing acid on my face. Then I removed something that was embedded in my back [shows something the size of a match in his hand] but the police took it away from me and threw it away so I wouldn’t show it to the press,” said Peralta, showing the red wound on his back.

La Tercera says that the worst injuries were suffered by Gary Medel, who had been expelled from the game in the 15th minute. He apparently has hematomas on his abdomen and lower extremities from the attack.

Chile’s Infinita reports that the team’s doctor says they won’t be in any shape to play their next game against Austria, given the numerous injuries received by the players. FIFA is supposed to announce whether or not the game will be postponed this afternoon.

Via / 20 Minutos, La Tercera, Infinita

Images via Yahoo! News (AP Photo/CP, Aaron Harris, Adrian Wyld)