Olympics 2024: Video games rocked by chaotic crowd scenes as Morocco stuns Argentina in males’s soccer
Argentina have been saved in darkish about VAR verify for 2 hours and police made remaining name on recreation towards Morocco resuming as coaches and gamers open up on surreal climax
Argentina 1-2 Morocco: Chaotic Olympics opening recreation marred by crowd bother inflicting suspension for almost two hours – Sky Sports activities
- Creator, Joe Rindl
- Position, BBC Sport journalist
Argentina coach Javier Mascherano has described the chaotic ending to his group’s 2-1 loss to Morocco within the males’s Olympic soccer match as a “shame” and “a circus”.
With Morocco main 2-1 Argentina appeared to degree the match 16 minutes into second-half damage time, which sparked bottles being thrown on to the turf and a pitch invasion by some supporters in Morocco colors.
The referee led each units of gamers off the pitch at 16:05 BST, with the match resuming at 18:00 after followers had left the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard in Saint-Etienne.
Shortly earlier than restarting, Argentina’s equaliser was dominated out for offside following intervention from the video assistant referee (VAR).
Morocco held on to their lead throughout three further minutes.
Picture supply, Getty Pictures
“I’ve not been a coach for lengthy, however by no means in my profession as a participant have I seen a state of affairs like that,” stated Mascherano, who gained gold with Argentina in 2004 and 2008.
“It’s a circus. However that’s how it’s. We can not management it. I advised the boys that now we have to look ahead, attempt to get the six factors that can permit us to qualify and that each one this could fill us with vitality and anger for what we have now forward of us.”
For a while the end result of the match was unclear, with the official Worldwide Olympic Committee (IOC) web site indicating it had ended.
Mascherano stated the group captains initially “determined to not play on” and that the organiser “known as Fifa” – world soccer’s governing physique – earlier than deciding to restart the match.
“It’s a shame that this could occur and poison the match. This would not even occur in a neighbourhood match. It is pathetic,” he added.
“Past the Olympic spirit, the organisation must be as much as normal and in the intervening time, sadly, it isn’t.”
An announcement from the match organisers stated: “The soccer match between Argentina and Morocco on the Saint-Etienne Stadium was suspended as a consequence of a pitch invasion by a small variety of spectators.
“The match then restarted and was capable of conclude safely. Paris 2024 is working with the related stakeholders to know the causes and establish applicable actions.”
On Thursday, organisers stated they’d herald further employees and crowd boundaries for upcoming matches in Saint-Etienne.
Olympics safety director Bruno Le Ray stated there’s a mean of 17,000 safety employees working throughout the Video games every day, which will increase to 22,000 on the busiest days.
Argentina play their second match on Saturday in Lyon towards Iraq, with Morocco going through Ukraine in Saint-Etienne the identical day.
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