VAR chaos came to Olympic Games football as the men’s tournament two days ahead of the formal Opening Ceremony of Paris 2024.
Four matches were staggered across France, two from each of the four groups but it was Argentina’s defeat by Morocco 500 km south in Saint-Etienne which dominated the day’s action.
Morocco had been 2-0 ahead on goals from Sofiane Rahimi – one a penalty – but Argentina pulled back one and then Cristian Medina thought he had headed an equaliser in one minute more than the original 15 scheduled minutes of stoppage time at the end of the second half.
Fans stormed pitch and threw bottles as Argentina v Morocco descended into chaos to kick off Olympics
Cups and bottles were thrown at the celebrating Argentinian players and coaching staff by Moroccan fans as well as a flare. A number of fans in Morocco colours also evaded security staff and stewards and ran on to the pitch.
Swedish referee Glenn Nyberg immediately took the players off the pitch and a message on a big screen in the stadium said: “Your session has been suspended please make your way to the nearest exit.”
Argentina’s players, who included recent Copa America winners Julian Alvarez, Nicolas Otamendi and Geronimo Rulli, thought initially that the referee had signalled the end of the match and they had snatched a draw.
However two hours later it was decided to play the remaining three minutes 15 seconds. Referee Nyberg immediately went to his pitchside video and disallowed Medina’s goal because another player had just rejoined the action from an offside position.
This time Argentina were out of time.
Argentina’s coach Javier Mascherano, an Olympic winner in 2004 and 2008, was furious.
He said: “I have not been a coach for long but never in my career as a player have I seen a situation like that. It is a circus . . . It is a disgrace that this should happen and poison the tournament. This wouldn’t even happen in a neighbourhood tournament. It’s pathetic.
“Beyond the Olympic spirit, the organisation needs to be up to standard and at the moment, unfortunately, it is not.”
Simultaneously VAR had a role to play in Spain’s opening 2-1 Group C defeat of a plucky Uzbekistan in the Parc des Princes.
Spain’s world under-21 champions wrote themselves a small slice of history since these Games are the first to see the country in action in both men and women’s tournaments. A further fascination was a sight of the next generation of outstanding young players being brought through by Spain, recently-crowned senior European champions.
Uzbekistan offered them no respect in a lovely opening before La Rojita then took the lead after their first coherent attack with a left-wing cross from Sergio Gomez being popped home at the far post by raiding rightback Marc Pubill.
Gomez was involved in all action. Early in the second half he drew a low save from keeper Abduvohid Nematov before Uzbekistan ran away on a fatal counter-attack. Referee Dahane Beida played on after a tangle of legs and bodies in the Spanish box but was eventually advised by VAR to check the video. That resulted in an equalising penalty converted by Roma midfielder Eldor Shomurodov.
Gomez had not finished. He had a 59th-minute penalty saved by the outstretched leg of keeper Nematov then he made amends, three minutes later, to restore Spain’s lead. This time he allowed no possibiity of error in firing home deliberately from around that same penalty spot to convert a left-wing cross from fullback Juan Miranda.
Uzbekistan besieged the Spanish goal in the closing stages, which included 12 minutes of stoppage time, but all in vain.
Later new French coach Thierry Henry had the satisfaction of seeing his host team defeat United States 3-0.
The results
Gp A: Guinea 1, New Zealand 2; France 3, US 0. Gp B: Argentina 1, Morocco 2; Iraq 2, Ukraine 1. Gp C: Uzbekistan 1, Spain 2; Egypt 0, Dominican Rep. 0. Gp D: Japan 5, Paraguay 0; Mali 1, Israel 1.
Credit: AIPS Media
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