In a recent Olympic women’s soccer quarterfinal match, host nation France faced Brazil. Ultimately, Brazil defeated the hosts 1-0 and advanced. The actual stoppage time in this match lasted for an unusually long 19 minutes, causing significant dissatisfaction among Brazilian fans.
According to Globo Esporte, referee Tori Penson’s social media account was inundated with comments from Brazilian fans, many of whom sharply criticized her, saying things like: “She invented three halves – top, middle, and bottom,” “If you were refereeing the final, the game wouldn’t finish even if the Olympics were over,” “Madam, it’s almost ten o’clock, can we please end this game?” “Soon she’ll be getting the ball and scoring for France,” “She invented extra time within regular play,” “This is an embarrassment to the refereeing profession! 19 minutes of stoppage time?” …
The American referee closed her social media comments due to the harassment. It’s worth noting that this isn’t the first instance of excessively long stoppage times in football matches at these Olympics. Previously, the Argentina vs. Morocco match also saw criticism due to 15 minutes of extended stoppage time, which eventually led to chaos after fans entered the pitch.