A football commentator made the unusual move of reprimanding Paris Olympics organizers on Sunday, criticized the decision to hold tournaments in cities across France, claiming its “dangerous” players are not getting enough time to rest.
Julie Foudy, a two-time Olympic gold medalist who serves as an analyst for women’s soccer matches on NBC’s Paris Olympics coverage, squealed as the US women’s soccer team took on Brazil in the gold medal game.
Foudy explained that teams only get two days of rest – one of which includes travel.
“It’s asking too much of these players,” she said. “It’s ridiculous what they’re asking them to do, and I think it’s dangerous because we’re seeing a stretcher of it.”
Team USA’s Sophia Smith scored the semifinal’s first and only goal in overtime, the second time in Olympic history that a women’s semifinal match was scoreless after 90 minutes.
Foudy offered some suggestions: increasing rosters and allowing all 22 team members to play instead of having what she called a “ridiculous” alternate role.
“Player safety should be first and foremost in all of this,” she said. “Has 16 teams, and I say the same for the men’s side as well.”
The women’s competition at the Olympic Games is organized in exactly the same way as FIFA tournaments: two teams of 11 players compete in a 90-minute match, which is divided into two 45-minute halves on a grass field, according to the Olympics’ website. The same rules apply to men’s games, but with a slight difference in the composition of the teams.