Current:Home > MarketsOlympic soccer gets off to violent and chaotic start as Morocco fans rush the field vs Argentina -FinanceCore
Olympic soccer gets off to violent and chaotic start as Morocco fans rush the field vs Argentina
View
Date:2025-04-27 16:55:22
SAINT-ETIENNE, France (AP) — The Olympic men’s soccer tournament got off to a violent and chaotic start Wednesday with Morocco’s shocking 2-1 win against two-time gold medalist Argentina.
The result tells only part of the story after a dramatic end to the match in Saint-Etienne, which had to be suspended for nearly two hours when furious Morocco fans ran on to the pitch and threw bottles from the stands to protest a late goal by Argentina in the 16th minute of added time.
The angry and bizarre scene sparked confusion over whether the game had been concluded or paused. The crowd was told to leave the stadium, but players remained at the venue and returned to the pitch for a final three minutes of added time in front of empty stands.
Moments before play resumed, Cristian Medina’s disputed goal was disallowed by VAR for offside, and Morocco held on for the victory.
Argentina’s soccer federation said it had issued a a formal claim to world governing body FIFA to “take the necessary regulatory measures for such a serious event.”
“Paris 2024 is working with the relevant stakeholders to understand the causes and identify appropriate actions,” a spokesperson for Paris organizers said.
Morocco fans reacted furiously when they thought Medina’s goal had denied the team a critical win against one of international soccer’s powerhouses.
Objects were thrown and invading Morocco fans were tackled by security on the field at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard after Medina appeared to tie the game 2-2.
There were images of some Argentina players flinching when what appeared to be a flare was thrown onto the field. Bottles and cups were strewn over the pitch by the time the game was paused.
It was initially thought that the full-time whistle had been blown. Even FIFA’s website declared the game over.
About an hour after the incident, organizers at the venue confirmed the match was not officially over and that VAR would review whether the goal would stand.
Players eventually re-entered the field after a long delay and began to warm up before the game could be concluded. After warmups, players from both teams stood on the field in the otherwise empty stadium while an official reviewed the video. He offered a brief explanation to Argentina while players on Morocco’s bench celebrated.
Play went on for about three minutes after the resumption before the final whistle was blown.
Morocco had led the game 2-0 before Argentina’s fight back. Giuliano Simeone scored in the 68th minute before Medina’s effort sparked chaotic scenes.
The game was broadcast in cafes throughout Morocco, where national pride has swelled since the country advanced to the semifinal in the 2022 World Cup. During a record-breaking heat wave, tea-drinking men screamed at televisions and watched in shock as fans stormed the field.
Zak Eddakir, a 28 year-old from Rabat, said the fans’ reaction had to do with soccer’s importance in Morocco and a natural disappointment at a draw and the idea that a referee’s call could end a game.
“In football, it’s normal,” he said. “When you see something like that, it’s really hard for supporters. Here, football is life. Even the king supports it.”
Hairdresser Khadija Seffany streamed into the street to embrace her friends and neighbors after Morocco won. She initially thought the delay in calling the goal offside suggested the referees wanted Argentina to win because Morocco is an Arab country. Every match throughout the Olympics will be important, she said.
“Here, we’re one of the best in the world. We drink football. We eat football,” Seffany said.
___
AP writer Sam Metz in Rabat, Morocco, contributed to this report.
___
AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games
veryGood! (23)
Related
- New Mexico governor seeks funding to recycle fracking water, expand preschool, treat mental health
- NFL 'Sunday Ticket' is headed to YouTube beginning next season
- This Is Not a Drill: Save $60 on the TikTok-Loved Solawave Skincare Wand That Works in 5 Minutes
- Why the government fails to limit many dangerous chemicals in the workplace
- John Galliano out at Maison Margiela, capping year of fashion designer musical chairs
- Should Solar Geoengineering Be a Tool to Slow Global Warming, or is Manipulating the Atmosphere Too Dangerous?
- How an 11-year-old Iowa superfan got to meet her pop idol, Michael McDonald
- Washington Commits to 100% Clean Energy and Other States May Follow Suit
- Former Danish minister for Greenland discusses Trump's push to acquire island
- 5 takeaways from the front lines of the inflation fight
Ranking
- 'Kraven the Hunter' spoilers! Let's dig into that twisty ending, supervillain reveal
- Trump’s New Clean Water Act Rules Could Affect Embattled Natural Gas Projects on Both Coasts
- There's a shortage of vets to treat farm animals. Pandemic pets are partly to blame
- Gunman on scooter charged with murder after series of NYC shootings that killed 86-year-old man and wounded 3 others
- Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits for millions of people
- The Senate’s Two-Track Approach Reveals Little Bipartisanship, and a Fragile Democratic Consensus on Climate
- Fiancée speaks out after ex-boyfriend shoots and kills her husband-to-be: My whole world was taken away
- Some of America's biggest vegetable growers fought for water. Then the water ran out
Recommendation
South Korean president's party divided over defiant martial law speech
5 takeaways from the front lines of the inflation fight
DJ Khaled Shares Video of His Painful Surfing Accident
Q&A: A Sustainable Transportation Advocate Explains Why Bikes and Buses, Not Cars, Should Be the Norm
Elon Musk's skyrocketing net worth: He's the first person with over $400 billion
'Can I go back to my regular job?' Sports anchor goes viral for blizzard coverage
Polluting Industries Cash-In on COVID, Harming Climate in the Process
With Coal’s Dominance in Missouri, Prospects of Clean Energy Transition Remain Uncertain