Mum slide tackles her toddler after youngster invades pitch at MLS game

A mum was forced to run onto the pitch at a Major League Soccer game to slide tackle her pitch-invading toddler.

The two-year-old boy showed a quick turn of pace as he made it onto the field during the game between FC Cincinnati and Orlando City FC.

Morgan Tucker dashed after little Zaydek Carpenter of Moscow, Ohio, after he got away from her in their front row seats at TQL Stadium.

Ms Tucker managed to bring down her laughing son before scooping him and removing him from the playing surface on Saturday night.

She said it was the youngster’s first game, and they had gone as guests of her employer.

“I literally looked away for one second and saw he was under the fence and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh,’” she told Good Morning America.

“I had to jump over the gate and then sprinted after him. When I slid and tackled him, I did not feel any pain but the next day I was sore for sure.

“I was so scared he was going to get hit in the head with a soccer ball.”

And she added that her son had a simple explanation for his actions.

“When I got him back over the fence I said, ‘What were you doing?,’ and he said, ‘Mom, soccer ball,’” she added.

“He was really into the game and when the players would go to the other side of the field, he was not happy, so he wanted them to be there with him.

“He was just running after them. He was just laughing and had no idea what he did.”

And she says she could hear the cheers from the crowd as she escorted her son back their seats.

“Everyone was screaming and cheering and I knew they were not cheering for the game. My face was as red as a tomato.”

MLS officials took to social media to share the funny moment from their own cameras.

“Our panoramic cameras caught the #FCCincy kid, pitch-invader,” tweeted MLS Director of Digital Content, Mark McClure.

“Solid run. Tracked the play well. Filled in at the right back pushed into the attack.”

And he added: “Smell ya later, mom!” Pure jailbreak. Look at that rascal go.

Pictures of the incident were captured and tweeted out by Sam Greene of The Cincinnati Enquirer.

The game ended up in a 1-1 draw.

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