Morocco Triumphs Over Argentina Amid Fan Invasion Chaos at Olympics 2024 – ESPN

A chaotic fan invasion occurred during the opening match of the Olympic football tournament between Argentina and Morocco on Wednesday. Argentina was ultimately defeated 2-1 following a VAR review after play was suspended with the score initially tied at 2-2.

Argentina’s Cristian Medina appeared to have secured a 2-2 draw with a goal deep in injury time, but the goal was ruled out approximately two hours after play was suspended. The teams re-emerged to finish the match in an empty stadium.

Images showed some Argentina players flinching when what seemed to be a flare was thrown. By the end, bottles and cups littered the field.

The Olympics website marked the match as “interrupted.”

About an hour after the incident, venue organizers stated that the match was not officially over. Players remained at the stadium to resume play, and video boards informed fans that the match was suspended and they needed to leave the stadium.

The Olympics’ media website indicated that there would be a video review of Medina’s goal to check for possible offsides.

Morocco initially led the game 2-0 before Argentina’s comeback.

Giuliano Simeone scored in the 68th minute, and Medina leveled the game deep into stoppage time.

Argentina faced boos from spectators due to Enzo Fernández‘s video controversy, which was labeled “racist and discriminatory” by the French Football Federation.

The 2004 and 2008 gold medalists failed to display their best form despite fielding recent Copa América winners Julián Álvarez, Nicolás Otamendi, and Gerónimo Rulli.

Soufiane Rahimi put Morocco ahead as Achraf Hakimi assisted him from the right with a superb passing move seconds before halftime.

Rahimi doubled the lead, scoring his second from the penalty spot in the 49th minute. Simeone then pulled one back for Javier Mascherano’s side in the 68th minute.

Medina found the net 16 minutes into stoppage time, but chaos erupted when fans stormed the pitch, and objects were thrown at players in the French eastern city.

Later in the day, Israel’s national anthem was loudly jeered before their 1-1 draw with Mali.

The game began with significant security outside the stadium due to an increasingly strained international climate, spotlighting Paris’ safety efforts.

The Israel team arrived under heavy police escort, with motorbike riders leading and about a dozen riot police vans following. Armed police officers patrolled the Parc des Princes stadium, one with a rifle resting on his shoulder. France’s Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin and Paris police chief Laurent Nunez arrived around 7:30 p.m.

The atmosphere outside the venue remained calm, with fans from both countries mingling, holding flags, and posing for photos.

Mali fans sang proudly when their anthem played first, but boos and whistles immediately followed Israel’s anthem. The stadium’s speaker system then increased in volume, seemingly to drown out the jeers.

Israeli players were booed each time they touched the ball. Security officials intervened in a heated argument between some fans, which occurred near a woman holding a Palestinian flag. Two other people holding Palestine flags then stood beside her.

The game ended 1-1, with Israel taking the lead after an own goal by defender Hamidou Diallo in the 57th minute. Mali equalized shortly after with Cheickna Doumbia’s powerful header, sparking wild celebrations from Mali fans.

France defeated the United States 3-0, thanks to a second-half surge, as the teams began play in Group A.

After a scoreless first half, Alexandre Lacazette, one of France’s senior players, lashed a shot past U.S. keeper Patrick Schulte to make it 1-0.

Michael Olise, who recently moved from Crystal Palace to Bayern Munich, doubled the lead, and Loïc Badé sealed the win with a header before full-time, giving Thierry Henry’s host side the opening win and top spot in Group A.

Before finding their stride, France had to battle a U.S. team that saw Djordje Mihailovic’s shot hit the crossbar when the game was still goalless. Lacazette’s goal came almost immediately afterward.

The United States, making their first Olympic appearance in men’s soccer since 2008, is in third place behind New Zealand, which beat Guinea 2-1 in the other Group A match of the day.

Spain struggled to find their rhythm early but took the lead in the 29th minute against Uzbekistan with a close-range finish from Marc Pubill off Abel Ruiz‘s flicked ball.

Uzbekistan, cheered by an ecstatic crowd, equalized just before halftime thanks to Eldor Shomurodov‘s penalty following a VAR review for a Pau Cubarsí foul.

Spain missed a golden opportunity to regain the lead after the break when Sergio Gómez‘s penalty was saved by Abduvohid Nematov. However, the Real Sociedad player redeemed himself by scoring in the 62nd minute to secure Spain their first three points in Group C.

Meanwhile, Ben Waine’s go-ahead goal secured New Zealand a 2-1 victory over Guinea in their Group A opener in Nice.

New Zealand was awarded a penalty in the 24th minute, but Guinea goalkeeper Soumaila Sylla saved captain Matthew Garbett’s attempt. New Zealand quickly recovered, and Garbett scored a minute later for a 1-0 lead.

Aliou Balde appeared to equalize for Guinea in the 62nd minute, but it was ruled offside after a video review. The team eventually broke through with Amadou Diawara’s game-tying goal in the 72nd minute.

New Zealand responded a minute later with Waine’s goal from close range.

This marks New Zealand’s fourth Olympic appearance. The OlyWhites, as they are known, reached the quarterfinals at the Tokyo Games before losing to host Japan on penalties.

Guinea was making their Olympic debut.

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

Peter Gonzalez’s apparent goal for the Dominican Republic early in the match was disallowed due to a foul in the build-up.

Egypt has participated in the Olympics 13 times, the most by any African nation, but has never finished higher than fourth. The team reached the quarterfinals at the Tokyo Games.

It was anticipated that Mohamed Salah would join Egypt as a senior player for the Olympics, but he declined to focus on Liverpool’s preseason. The team is captained by former Arsenal midfielder Mohamed Elneny.

The Dominican Republic was making their Olympic debut.

Shunsuke Mito and Shota Fujio both scored twice in Japan’s 5-0 rout of Paraguay in Group D.

Japan capitalized on Paraguay being reduced to 10 men in Bordeaux when Wilder Vera was sent off in the 25th minute following a VAR review of a foul on Yu Hirakawa. Mito had already opened the scoring in the 18th minute and added a second in the 63rd.

Rihito Yamamoto made it 3-0 six minutes later, and Fujio, who substituted for Mito in the 73rd, completed the win with goals in the 81st and 87th minutes.

Substitute Ali Jasim secured a 2-1 comeback win for Iraq against Ukraine in Group B.

Ukraine led through Valentyn Rubchynskyi’s opener in the 53rd minute in Lyon, but Iraq quickly leveled from the penalty spot, with Aymen Hussein converting in the 56th minute. Ali scored the winner in the 75th.

Iraq tops the group, level on points with Morocco.