Olympics 2024: Morocco beat Argentina amid fan invasion chaos

A fan invasion within the opening match of the Olympic soccer event between Argentina and Morocco on Wednesday brought about chaos, with Argentina ultimately crushed 2-1 following a VAR evaluation after play was suspended with the rating tied at 2-2.

Argentina’s Cristian Medina scored deep in damage time to salvage what seemed like a 2-2 draw, however the choice ruling out the objective was delivered about two hours after play was suspended when the groups re-emerged on to the pitch to complete the match in an empty stadium.

There have been photos of some Argentina gamers flinching when what seemed to be a flare was thrown. Bottles and cups have been strewn over the sector by the tip.

The Olympics web site additionally confirmed the match as “interrupted.”

About an hour after the incident, organisers on the venue stated the match was not formally over. Gamers have been being saved on the stadium to renew play. Video boards knowledgeable followers the match was suspended they usually needed to go away the stadium.

The boxscore on the Olympics’ media web site stated there can be a video evaluation of Medina’s objective to examine for doable offsides.

Morocco had led the sport 2-0 earlier than Argentina’s battle again.

Giuliano Simeone scored within the 68th minute and Medina leveled the sport deep into stoppage time.

Argentina have been booed by spectators for Enzo Fernández’s video controversy labelled by the French Soccer Federation as “racist and discriminatory.”

The gold medal winners in 2004 and 2008 didn’t show their finest play regardless of lining up current Copa América winners Julián Álvarez, Nicolás Otamendi and Gerónimo Rulli.

Soufiane Rahimi put Morocco forward as Achraf Hakimi set him up from the correct after an excellent passing transfer within the ultimate seconds of the primary half.

Rahimi doubled the benefit and netted his second from the penalty spot within the forty ninth minute earlier than Simeone pulled one again for Javier Mascherano’s facet within the 68th.

Medina then discovered the online 16 minutes into stoppage time earlier than followers stormed the pitch and objects have been thrown at gamers as chaos erupted within the French japanese metropolis.

Israel’s nationwide anthem was loudly jeered earlier than the group kicked off play in a 1-1 draw with Mali later within the day.

The sport started with an enormous safety presence outdoors the stadium amid an more and more strained worldwide local weather that has Paris’ security efforts squarely within the highlight.

The Israel group arrived underneath a heavy police escort, with motorcycle riders on the entrance and a few dozen riot police vans following behind. Armed cops patrolled the Parc des Princes stadium, one with a rifle resting on his shoulder. France’s Inside Minister, Gérald Darmanin, and Paris police chief Laurent Nunez arrived on the stadium at about 7:30 p.m.

The ambiance outdoors the venue was calm, nonetheless. Followers from each international locations mingled, holding up flags and posing for photographs.

Mali followers sang proudly when their anthem was performed first. When it got here to Israel’s anthem, boos and whistles instantly rang out. The stadium speaker system taking part in the anthems then bought notably louder in what appeared like an effort to drown out the jeers.

As soon as play started, Israeli gamers have been booed every time they touched the ball. Safety officers intervened in what seemed to be a heated argument between some followers. The commotion occurred close to the place one girl was holding a Palestinian flag. Two different folks holding Palestine flags then stood subsequent to the girl.

The sport completed 1-1, with Israel taking the lead after an personal objective from defender Hamidou Diallo within the 57th minute. Mali equalized a couple of minutes in a while Cheickna Doumbia’s highly effective header, drawing wild celebrations from the big contingent of Mali followers.

France beat america 3-0 due to a second-half barrage because the groups started play in Group A.

After a scoreless first half, the floodgates opened when Alexandre Lacazette, one among France’s senior gamers within the squad, lashed a shot previous U.S. keeper Patrick Schulte to make it 1-0.

Michael Olise, who simply made a high-profile transfer from Crystal Palace to Bayern Munich, doubled the lead quickly after and Loïc Badé smashed dwelling a header earlier than full-time to present Thierry Henry’s host facet the opening win and high spot in Group A.

Earlier than discovering its stride, France needed to battle exhausting in opposition to a U.S. group that noticed a shot from Djordje Mihailovic hit the cross bar when the sport was nonetheless goalless. Lacazette’s objective got here virtually instantly after.

The USA, making a primary Olympic look in males’s soccer since 2008, is in third behind New Zealand, which beat Guinea 2-1 within the different Group A match of the day.

Spain, who struggled to seek out their tempo within the opening levels of the sport, took the lead within the twenty ninth minute in opposition to Uzbekistan with a close-range end from Marc Pubill off Abel Ruiz’s flicked ball.

Uzbekistan, cheered by an ecstatic crowd, equalised simply earlier than halftime due to Eldor Shomurodov’s penalty following a VAR evaluation for a Pau Cubarsí foul.

Spain wasted a golden likelihood to revive the lead after the break when Sergio Gómez’s penalty effort was saved by Abduvohid Nematov, however the Actual Sociedad participant redeemed himself and located the online within the 62nd minute to earn Spain their first three factors in Group C.

In the meantime, Ben Waine scored the go-ahead objective and New Zealand received their Group A opener 2-1 over Guinea in Good.

New Zealand have been awarded a penalty within the twenty fourth minute, however Guinea goalkeeper Soumaila Sylla dove to punch away captain Matthew Garbett’s try. New Zealand rapidly recovered and Garbett scored a minute later for a 1-0 lead.

Aliou Balde appeared to equalise for Guinea within the 62nd minute, however it was dominated offside after video evaluation. The group lastly broke by with Amadou Diawara’s game-tying objective within the 72nd.

New Zealand answered a minute later with Waine’s objective from out in entrance.

It’s the fourth time that New Zealand are making an Olympic look. The OlyWhites, as they’re recognized, superior to the quarterfinals on the Tokyo Video games earlier than falling to host Japan on penalties.

Guinea have been making their Olympic debut.

In Group C in Nantes, Egypt and the Dominican Republic performed to a scoreless draw.

Peter Gonzalez’s obvious objective for the Dominican Republic early within the match was referred to as again due to a foul within the run-up.

Egypt have been to the Olympics 13 occasions, probably the most by an African nation, however have by no means completed increased than fourth. The group made the quarterfinals on the Tokyo Video games.

It was hoped that Mohamed Salah would be part of Egypt as a senior participant for the Olympics, however he declined to concentrate on Liverpool’s preseason. The group is captained by Mohamed Elneny, the previous Arsenal midfielder.

The Dominican Republic have been making their Olympic debut.

Shunsuke Mito and Shota Fujio scored two targets every in Japan’s 5-0 rout of Paraguay in Group D.

Japan took full benefit of Paraguay being decreased to 10 males in Bordeaux when Wilder Vera was despatched off within the twenty fifth by scoring 4 targets within the second half. Vera was proven crimson following a VAR evaluation of a foul on Yu Hirakawa.

By that time, Mito had already opened the scoring within the 18th. He added a second within the 63rd.

Rihito Yamamoto made it 3-0 six minutes later and Fujio, who got here on for Mito within the within the 73rd, rounded off the win with targets within the 81st and 87th.

Substitute Ali Jasim got here on to seal a 2-1 comeback win for Iraq in opposition to Ukraine in Group B.

Ukraine had led by Valentyn Rubchynskyi’s opener within the 53rd in Lyon, however Iraq was rapidly given the possibility to degree from the penalty spot.

Aymen Hussein transformed within the 56th and Ali struck the winner within the seventy fifth.

Iraq is high of the group, degree with Morocco on three factors.

Data from Reuters and The Related Press was used on this report.