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Argentina loses first Olympic match in ‘unusual’ fashion
Moroccan fans threw firecrackers at the Argentina bench, causing a two-hour stoppage before Medina’s goal was overturned
Messi considered the incident very “unusual” and made this statement on social networks
The 2024 Paris Olympics opens on Wednesday, featuring some men’s soccer matches in addition to rugby and other events, with the opening ceremony taking place later this week.
Argentina’s 2-1 loss to Morocco in their World Cup opener made headlines around the world. After the South American side scored a goal in the 16th minute of unusually long injury time that looked to have levelled the score at 2-2, angry Moroccan fans stormed the pitch, throwing objects and firecrackers at the Argentine players and bench, forcing them to take shelter in the locker room. While such violence is not uncommon at soccer matches, it was the first time it had occurred at an Olympic event.
The final whistle was never blown, with Swedish referee Glen Nyberg eventually disallowing Christian Medina’s goal two hours after the incident based on a video assisted referee (VAR) review. The match was briefly restarted but the scoreline remained the same. Sofian Rahimi scored twice for Morocco, one of which was a penalty.
The Olympic squad is for those under 23, but there are quotas for older players. Argentine soccer legend Lionel Messi posted an incredulous message after realizing what was happening: “Unusual!” he wrote on social media from his home in Miami.
Other matches that saw 2-1 wins on Wednesday included Spain over Uzbekistan, New Zealand over Guinea and Iraq over Ukraine. Japan put in a strong performance with a 5-0 win over Paraguay, while Egypt and the Dominican Republic played out a 0-0 draw.
In addition to men’s football, rugby, archery and handball competitions also began on Wednesday. The opening ceremony is scheduled for July 26 and the closing ceremony is scheduled for August 11.
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