There was a chaotic finish to the Olympic males’s soccer match between Argentina and Morocco — with the sport restarting almost two hours after it had appeared to complete following crowd hassle and a last-minute equaliser.
The groups left the pitch and broadcast feeds minimize out as Argentina appeared to have secured a 2-2 draw courtesy of Cristian Medina’s aim deep in stoppage time, just for that equaliser to be later dominated out following an intervention from the video assistant referee (VAR).
Play restarted at 6pm BST/1pm ET in an empty stadium on the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard in Saint-Etienne, 4 hours after the unique kick-off, and Morocco held on for a 2-1 victory.
The Athletic explains precisely how the chaos unfolded and why…
What occurred in the course of the Argentina vs Morocco match?
Argentina and Morocco’s Group B opener started at 2pm BST/9am ET at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard.
Morocco took a 2-0 lead due to a aim in both half from Soufiane Rahimi, earlier than Argentina halved the deficit by means of Giuliano Simeone, son of the Atletico Madrid supervisor Diego, within the 68th minute.
Argentina thought that they had scored a 106th-minute equaliser (after quarter-hour of stoppage time had been added) when Medina headed residence after the ball had hit the Morocco woodwork twice within the seconds beforehand.
First, Nicolas Otamendi’s effort was deflected onto the crossbar by the Morocco goalkeeper Munir.
Then a looping header by Bruno Amione landed on the crossbar earlier than the ball was headed residence from shut vary by Medina.
There have been wild scenes within the stands, with quite a lot of cups and bottles thrown in direction of the celebrating Argentina gamers.
(Arnaud Finistre/AFP through Getty Photos)
A small variety of followers sporting Morocco colors ran onto the pitch and had been chased by stewards. Broadcast footage appeared to indicate a flare-like object go off on the touchline the place the 2 dugouts had been positioned and quite a lot of gamers had been standing. Gamers ducked and lined their heads, and swiftly left the pitch as riot police stood close by.
The sport appeared to have ended at 4.10pm BST/11.10am ET, ending in a 2-2 draw. The printed feed minimize away and started displaying the subsequent fixture between Egypt and the Dominican Republic. The official Olympics match weblog additionally acknowledged that the sport had ended.
Followers had been requested to go away the stadium, with a message showing on the large display screen studying: “Your session has been suspended. Please make your technique to the closest exit”.
(Tullio M. Puglia/Getty Photos)
Why was the match restarted and what then occurred?
Information broke 90 minutes later that Argentina’s equalising aim had been disallowed for offside.
The gamers and officers returned to the sector and the sport resumed shortly after 6pm BST/1pm ET, in a stadium that was utterly empty of supporters.
It had been unclear precisely why the match restarted and when that call was made. The disallowed aim had been scored within the sixteenth minute of second-half damage time, when there have been solely presupposed to be 15. When approached for readability on the decision-making course of, FIFA referred The Athletic to Paris 2024.
A Paris 2024 spokesperson then mentioned on Thursday morning: “The soccer match between Argentina and Morocco on the Saint-Etienne Stadium was suspended as a result of a pitch invasion by a small variety of spectators. The match then restarted and was in a position to conclude safely. Paris 2024 is working with the related stakeholders to grasp the causes and determine applicable actions.”
When it did restart, the referee Glenn Nyberg consulted the pitchside VAR monitor to overview Argentina’s equaliser.
Argentina’s Bruno Amione was judged by the semi-automated offside know-how to have been offside within the build-up and the aim was disallowed.
The gamers had already been made conscious of this choice earlier than returning to the sector.
Three minutes of added time had been performed within the empty stadium earlier than the ultimate whistle was blown at 6.07pm ET/1.07pm ET, almost two hours after many thought the match was over.
How did broadcasters take care of the delay?
On the U.S. broadcast, there was a dash to get viewers on USA Community up to the mark earlier than play resumed. Following the top of the Argentina-Kenya rugby match, which aired dwell on USA Community, studio host Kathryn Tappen spoke over highlights of the end-of-game scenes in Marseille, and the confusion — even amongst gamers — about whether or not the sport was over. The printed confirmed Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi arguing within the tunnel that Argentina’s game-tying aim was offsides.
After displaying the VAR picture of the aim being dominated offside, Tappen handed the published over to sport commentators Joe Speight and Tim Howard, who known as the ultimate minutes of stoppage time.
“I’ve been within the sport a very long time and over 25 years on the highest degree, I’ve by no means ever seen one thing this wild,” Howard mentioned. “That is unimaginable that they introduced the gamers again two hours after the ultimate whistle and disallowed the aim. Completely unimaginable scenes.”
Speight famous that they had been utterly unaware of what number of minutes had been left to be performed after the suspension, with the sport already 16 minutes into stoppage time.
“Essentially the most extraordinary technique to begin off the lads’s soccer match,” Speight mentioned.
What has the response been?
The Argentina head coach Javier Mascherano could possibly be heard shouting the phrase “circus” from the touchline in the course of the ultimate levels of the sport and he was livid afterwards.
“We had been by no means advised that the play (Medina’s aim) was being reviewed, no, no, no,” he mentioned. “The match was suspended due to safety. At no time had been we advised concerning the overview, in truth the official web site of the Olympic Video games put the match at 2-2. The match was suspended due to safety, at no time did they discuss concerning the overview.
“Afterwards, after we had no information one hour later, we began to note unusual issues. What did the referee inform us? No, no, the referee by no means got here, he by no means gave us a proof.
In the course of the interview, Mascherano additionally alleged that a few of midfielder Thiago Almada’s possessions had been stolen whereas Argentina had been coaching yesterday.
“Let’s flip the web page, hold the constructive issues concerning the group, particularly within the second half, and search for the 2 wins we’re going to wish to qualify.
“What occurred on the pitch was scandalous. It’s not an area match, it’s the Olympic Video games. How can they cease the sport seven instances within the second half as a result of somebody enters the pitch?! On the second or third time, they should decide. Seven instances they (Morocco followers) entered the pitch!”
Argentina nice Lionel Messi, who is just not collaborating on the Video games, posted a one-word story on his Instagram account studying “Insolito”, which interprets as “unbelievable”, accompanied by an embarrassed emoji.
Why was Argentina’s anthem booed?
As the 2 groups lined up on the pitch earlier than the match, the Argentina nationwide anthem was booed by the gang, which was predominantly made up of Morocco supporters.
It was anticipated that there could be some response to the Argentina group competing in France, solely 10 days after Argentina worldwide Enzo Fernandez live-streamed a video of him and a few of his team-mates singing what the French Soccer Federation (FFF) has labelled a “racist and discriminatory tune” following their Copa America ultimate win over Colombia on Sunday night time.
The mantra was concerning the French nationwide group — who Argentina beat within the males’s World Cup ultimate in 2022 — with derogatory references to France internationals of African descent. The FFF mentioned it will file an official criticism with FIFA. Fernandez later apologised and admitted the tune included “extremely offensive language”.
GO DEEPER
Sacked politicians, Chelsea in disaster and team-mates at battle – the fallout from Argentina’s chant
France’s sports activities minister Amelie Oudea-Castera branded the chanting “pathetic” final Tuesday however Argentina’s vice-president, Victoria Villarruel, defended Fernandez.
Fernandez, although, is just not a part of the Argentina Underneath-23 group on the Olympics and is because of return to membership obligation with Premier League facet Chelsea subsequent week.
What subsequent?
Each groups are again in motion on Saturday for the second spherical of group-stage fixtures.
Mascherano’s Argentina tackle Iraq on the Groupama Stadium in Lyon, whereas Morocco are again on the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard to face Ukraine.
Argentina then play Ukraine in Lyon on Tuesday, whereas Morocco face Iraq on the Allianz Riviera in Good.
The highest two groups within the group will qualify for the quarterfinals which happen on Friday, August 2.
(High picture: Tullio M. Puglia/Getty Photos)
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