MARSEILLE, France (AP) — In a surprising turn of events during the Olympics men's soccer semifinal match between Morocco and Spain on Monday, the first substitution was not a player but the referee himself.
The incident occurred just 15 minutes into the game when referee Ilgiz Tantashev of Uzbekistan was inadvertently knocked down near midfield. Spain defender Marc Pubill, who seemed to have been pushed by a Moroccan player, collided with Tantashev's right leg, causing the referee to limp off the field.
