URUGUAY'S SUCCESS IN THE TRIUMPHANT OLYMPIC FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT
— Gabriel Hanot | 11/06/1924 —

he success of the Olympic football tournament, ensured by the national and international favor enjoyed by this universal sport, was further accentuated by an extraordinary combination of favorable circumstances. The heat wave, which raged during the first three weeks of May, disappeared the day before the events to give way to a rather cool temperature and entirely suitable for the game of football. The matches took place under cloudy, but not threatening, skies; the showers, which gave the soil the necessary suppleness and elasticity, fell, except for Italy-Spain, at night or in the morning.

The attendance showed itself, from May 25, and, in an uninterrupted manner, until June 9, interested, eager, enthusiastic. A atmosphere was created around the players which had the effect of increasing the individual efforts of the footballers and improving the performance of the whole. The crowd, which reached a total of approximately 300,000 spectators over the two-week period, showed incomparable attention, competence, soundness of judgment, impartiality and sportsmanship. No team can complain of having been misinterpreted or criticized unfairly. The value of the game has always taken precedence over the nationality of the eleven present. Thus the France-Latvia match only attracted 6,000 people to the Stade de Paris, while the Switzerland-Czechoslovakia match, in which we were not directly interested, was followed by 15,000. Likewise, yesterday, although France was not represented, the final of the tournament was played at the Stade de Colombes in front of 60,000 spectators, without prejudice to the thousands of latecomers who remained outside. There was not the slightest hint of chauvinism; both the Uruguayan and Swiss teams were applauded for their exploits and blamed for their actions, which were contrary to the rules of football. It wasn't passion that drove the crowds in the stands and tiers of the Stade, but the desire to see some great football. Clubs had come from Roubaix, Tourcoing, Lille, Amiens, Rouen, Le Havre, Brittany, the Midi, Alsace, Belgium, Spain, Switzerland and Holland; hence the sporting level of the crowd, from which no detail of the game escaped.

It was rewarded for his loyalty to football, this public of the Olympic tournament. The number and quality of the teams were well worthy of their interest. I do not want to prejudge the importance and success of the tournaments of future Olympiads, but it is certain that one only attends once in a lifetime, in the stadiums of one's own country, a competition like the one that ended yesterday. Some teams, such as Lithuania and Latvia, are obviously far from having reached international class; but most of the twenty-two nations had a certain value which at one time or another, in a passing manner or in a determined and sustained style, came to the fore. Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Spain, Italy, Egypt, Sweden, Holland, Switzerland and even France, during the first part of their meeting with Uruguay, deserved the praise of sportsmen and women, some for the technical perfection of their play, some for the originality of their methods, and others for their boundless physical and moral energy.

Each nation, and most recently Switzerland, however, had to bow to Uruguay, which gave South America its first Olympic victory. Football supremacy, which passed from Great Britain to the continent four years ago in Antwerp, is now leaving the Old World for the New World. Who knows, if in a few years, superiority will not be acquired by the yellow or even the black race? Already the Negroes stand out; one of the best players of Uruguay, the half-back Andrade, and the famous Salem, full-back of Egypt, are blacks of the most beautiful complexion.

Switzerland valiantly wore the colors of its country and defended the prestige of Europe. But they were dealing with someone stronger than them. In this tournament where the small nations eliminated the big ones in turn, it was one of the states with the weakest population which triumphed. Uruguay put together an elite team, which yesterday dominated its opponent, as much by athletic qualities, technical sureness and variety of attacks as by the will to win. The two best nations in the tournament were certainly in each other's presence; however, the stakes of this final meeting took away part of their value from each of the two camps. Faced with a rival that was superior in every respect, Switzerland fought desperately, courageously, without fail, but also without method; this is how we saw forward Abegglen retreat to behind his back line, and how the Swiss forward line rarely contained its five component units. Similarly, Uruguay, in their desire to leave nothing to chance, behaved as if they were playing in a league or cup match. They did well; apart from the third goal, scored fortuitously by Romano from a corner, their goals came from strength and close range. The massage was severely guarded.