HOUSTON – In many ways, it was a footnote to an entertaining night of football. But for Jamaica coach Heimir Hallgrímsson, the minutes just after 9pm here at NRG Stadium on Saturday were something else. His players had left the locker room at halftime of the first half of the Copa América. They returned to the field, ready for the second half after a standard 15-minute break, but their Mexican counterparts were nowhere to be found.
The Jamaican players waited for several minutes.
In those minutes, Mexico coach Jaime Lozano later admitted, he and his team were reviewing tactics, “actions” and “plays” from the first half that perhaps they needed to “correct.”
Their long halftime session caused the second egregious delay in three nights at the 2024 Copa América. On Thursday, Canada coach Jesse Marsch said Argentina “should be fined” for taking several extra minutes in their locker room. On Saturday, Hallgrímsson did not go that far, but said: “It’s just disrespectful.”
“Halftime only lasts 15 minutes,” he continued. “And if they can take longer, then we should have at least the same chance of staying longer. “It’s just unfair and disrespectful.”
In essence, that was Marsch’s point of view as well. “When they were waiting, I knew they were watching videos and analyzing how they wanted to play against us,” he said of Argentina.
Both games were 0-0 at halftime. Both favorites, who unilaterally took extra time in their locker rooms, finally won: Argentina 2-0 over Canada and Mexico 1-0 over Jamaica.
They didn’t win solely because they had a few extra minutes to prepare, of course, but their delays raised a question: What can be done to prevent smart teams from dawdling in their locker room and perhaps gaining an advantage?
The expectations are clear. The break lasts 15 minutes, as occurs in any match sanctioned by FIFA. And article 104 of CONMEBOL Copa América 2024 Regulations establishes that “teams must strictly respect the time set for the start of the match.” But what if they don’t?
On Saturday, referee Ismail Elfath, whom Hallgrímsson generally praised for his handling of the match, blew his whistle several times and forcefully and exasperatedly waved the Mexican players back onto the field, while the Jamaican players huddled and tried to to stay loose.
At various points, both Elfath and the Jamaican players pointed to their wrists and made the universal gesture of: You’re late.
One of the most entertaining parts of the Mexico vs Jamaica match so far
The referee did not agree while trying to get Mexico back on the field after halftime. pic.twitter.com/d64NdB6Yz6
– Katlyn Stevens (@katlyn_stevens) June 23, 2024
But neither the Mexican players nor the coaches were ever punished.
Punishment, in cases like these, is usually retroactive. The CONMEBOL regulations establish that “any delay in the start of the match or its restart due to the delay of one or more teams will be subject to the sanctions provided for in the CONMEBOL Disciplinary Code and Chapter 16 of this regulation.”
In non-legal terms: the case is referred to a disciplinary unit. They open an investigation. There is a judicial process. And a punishment could be imposed, such as a fine or any other type of punishment.
Marsch argued for a fine. A fine, of course, cannot help you undo Thursday’s result. He also said: “I wish the referees would get it. … (Argentina) had that time to prepare how they wanted to play against us in the second half, which – if we had known beforehand that we could have 10 extra minutes, then we could have prepared a few more things.”
But after the fact, and after Argentina scored four minutes into the second half, Marsch said: “If we were five minutes late, they would fine us. There would be a big problem. Let’s see what happens with Argentina. “I think they should be fined.”
In Houston, Jamaica started the second half on the front foot, with Mexico hot on their heels. However, about 15 minutes into the half, after Jamaica had a goal disallowed for offside following video review, Mexico rallied. Gerardo Arteaga’s goal in the 69th minute was decisive.
When asked about the halftime delay and Hallgrímsson’s comments, Lozano, the Mexico coach, said: “I don’t know if it’s unfair. But we made four or five plays and it took me too long. Yes, it’s my responsibility.” Normally we have some actions, some plays on the screen to correct, or to see what we are doing well and there I think I went a little overboard.”