Chaos at Olympic football match as VAR rules out Argentina goal two hours after game suspended
During an Olympic football match between Argentina and Morocco, chaos ensued when spectators invaded the pitch. The match was suspended and, after a video review, an equalizing goal for Morocco was ruled out two hours later.
During a chaotic match that Argentina coach Javier Mascherano compared to a "circus", his team were not allowed what seemed like a 2-2 tie when the game was stopped 16 minutes into added time due to Moroccan supporters causing a disturbance.
The goal was disallowed approximately two hours after play was stopped, as both teams returned to the field to complete the match in a deserted stadium.
This means that Argentina ended up losing the game with a score of 2-1.
"It's like a circus, I've never seen anything like it in all my years of playing sports," Mascherano said in remarks reported by the Argentinian newspaper La Nacion.
Right after Argentine player Cristian Medina scored what seemed like the equalizer, fans in the stands began throwing bottles, cups, and what looked like a flare onto the field.
Many supporters dressed in Morocco's colors also entered the field, and a few were guided off by security staff.
The screens at the stadium told fans to exit Stade Geoffroy-Guichard in the French town of Saint-Etienne.
At first, it was thought that the game had ended and even FIFA's website had announced that the match was over. However, an hour later, organizers clarified that the game had not officially ended.
Reuters news agency stated that the person in charge of the venue mentioned that the game had been stopped and they were talking about whether or not the match would continue.
Later, an official watched the video of Medina's goal and told the players that it had been disallowed because one of Argentina's players was deemed slightly offside before they scored.
The teams competed for approximately three minutes in a deserted stadium before the game ended.
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Argentina was losing by two goals before scoring in the 68th minute. They thought they had tied the game in added time through a goal by Medina.
After the drama, Argentine superstar Lionel Messi - who was not selected for the Olympics team - posted a message on Instagram with a black background, the word "insolito" - meaning unusual, and a shocked emoji.
Mascherano also said that burglars had entered the team's training facility and taken a watch and rings that belonged to player Thiago Almada the day before the game.
