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An equalizer in the 106th minute would normally be a more than sufficient capstone to any football match, but when Cristian Medina whipped in a header in the final knock of the match Opener of the Olympic Games for men in Argentina against Morocco the drama was just beginning.
Two hours later the final whistle blew for a match that most thought had ended in a 2-2 draw, with Morocco winning 2-1 in the first match of Group B. Here is what is certainly one of the most dramatic moments of Paris 2024 will have been played out:
What had happened before Medina’s goal that wasn’t the case?
A lot actually. Argentina was hardly warmly welcomed in Saint-Etienne – more on that later – and their opponent Morocco was in any case not exactly inclined to make life easy for one of the favorites ahead of the tournament. The African Under-23 champions were excellent from the start and were good value for the lead they claimed on the stroke of half-time, with Soufiane Rahimi pulling it home at the end of a fine team move.
When the Al Ain striker doubled his side’s lead from the penalty spot in the second half after Julio Soler had pushed Ilias Akhomach into the penalty area, it looked like Morocco were on their way to a famous victory over the two-time Olympic champions. Giuliano Simeone halved the deficit, but the Atlas Lions held on, at least until the final substitutions. Thiago Almada’s ring on the edge of the penalty area caused chaos inside, Munir El Kajoui saving twice and the crossbar hitting twice. Medina headed in from close range and that seemed to be it. The celebration of Javier Mascherano’s team caused angry reactions in the stands. Still, most had the impression that the game was over, the points were divided.
Why did the public have such a problem with Argentina?
Given that Moroccan immigrants and their descendants form one of the largest such communities in France, Argentina could always have expected the crowd at the Stade Geoffrey-Guichard to be against them. However, the events of recent weeks have further increased hostility towards the Argentina football team. After all, Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez had posted a video on social media in which the the victorious Copa America side made racist chants about France and the nationality of their footballers.
The extent to which recent events have increased hostility is difficult to quantify, but this was a match that followed some of the more worrying trends of the football summer. At least one supporter had entered the field before Medina scored the equalizer. When that goal was scored, more entered the field as objects were thrown at players, who hurried off to the locker room.
So the match was just suspended, right?
It didn’t seem that way. A series of news outlets, including Reuters and CBS Sports, reported on a game they believed had come to an end. It did not become clear until about half an hour after the match’s conclusion that the match had been “paused”, as the live coverage of the Olympics put it. That was then temporarily changed to a final score, even as reports emerged from the Argentine camp that the players did not know if the match had come to an end.
In the ground the scoreboard read: “Your session has been suspended, please leave the stadium.” Just after 7:30 PM local time (1:30 PM ET), the players returned to the field after fans had left the stadium for a 20-minute warm-up. There were three minutes left to play.
In a statement to CBS Sports, a Paris 2024 spokesperson said: “The football match between Argentina and Morocco at Saint-Etienne Stadium was suspended due to a pitch invasion by a small number of spectators. The match subsequently resumed and was able to be concluded. Paris 2024 works work with relevant stakeholders to understand the causes and identify appropriate measures.”
One last chance for Argentina to win the match?
Not quite. What had become clear in the intervening period was that a VAR review was necessary for the events leading to Medina putting the ball in the net. The Boca Juniors player was offside in the build-up. The goal would not stand and Argentina would have three minutes to hunt for the equalizer. They never really got close. Morocco, quite understandably, packed their box and dared their opponent to break them down. El Kajoui could hardly make a significant save. Four hours after the match started, Morocco won.
What happens now?
In football, Argentina has three days to dust themselves off before facing Iraq in Lyon. If they win that game and their meeting with Ukraine on July 30, they will likely have done enough to qualify for the quarter-finals, allowing them to move on from Wednesday’s dramatic events.
However, frustration is already increasing due to the events surrounding the defeat. Argentina U23 boss Javier Mascherano, formerly of West Ham, described it as “the biggest circus I have ever seen in my life”. Lionel Messi’s one-word post on Instagram read “Insólito”, which means unusual. Nicolas Tagliafico, another player from the 2024 Copa America winning side, was altogether less vague. He wrote on