ALBUQUERQUE — A New Mexico youth soccer league is investigating allegations that parents yelled racial slurs at Hispanic players and that a parent physically assaulted one of the girls during a game.

The Duke City Soccer League said it is looking into reports that a white man choked and groped a 14-year-old player during a match Saturday in Bernalillo, N.M., which spectators say was filled with racial tensions.

Ana Garcia, coach of Alameda 99, a largely Latina team of players 19 and younger, said the melee began after her players experienced racial taunting during an intense 3-3 game with Rio Galaxy — one of the Albuquerque area’s elite soccer clubs.

‘‘All throughout the game, the parents were calling the players things like ‘dirty Mexicans’ and other stuff I can’t even repeat,’’ Garcia said.

Rio Galaxy coach Steve Kokulis, said that he didn’t hear any racial slurs directed at the Alameda team from parents but that his players reported to him that their opponents used anti-white epithets — a charge Alameda parents strongly deny.

After an Alameda player pushed a Rio Galaxy player and two Rio Galaxy players jumped the Alameda girl, a melee broke out, Garcia said.

associated press