A soccer commentator made the unusual move of rebuking Paris Olympics organizers on Saturday, criticizing the decision to host tournaments in cities throughout France, arguing its “dangerous” players aren’t given enough time to rest.
Julie Foudy, a two-time Olympic gold medalist who serves as an analyst of women’s soccer matches on NBC’s Paris Olympics coverage, delivered the rant as the U.S. women’s soccer team took on Brazil in the gold medal match.
Foudy explained teams are only given two days to rest – one of which includes travel.
“It’s asking too much of these players,” she said. “It’s ridiculous what they ask of them, and I think it’s dangerous as we see one stretcher it off.”
Team USA’s Sophia Smith scored the semifinal’s first and only goal during overtime, the second time in Olympics history a women’s semifinal match was scoreless after 90 minutes.
Foudy did offer up a few 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 this,” she said. “Have 16 teams, and I’m saying the same thing for the men’s side as well.”
The women’s competition at the Olympic Games is organized in exactly the way as FIFA tournaments: two teams of 11 players contest a 90-minute match, which is split into two 45-minute halves on a grass pitch, according to the Olympics’ website.
The same rules apply to men’s games, but with a slight difference in the composition of the teams.