Ticket policy could become more restricted
US women’s soccer team routs Mexico in last match before the Games
TOKYO — The Tokyo Olympic organizing committee signaled on Monday that it will change its ticket policy this week for any local fans hoping to attend. This comes with the pandemic-delayed Olympics opening in just under three weeks.
Organizers, the International Olympic Committee and others are expected to meet this week to announce new restrictions because of the fastchanging coronavirus situation. Organizers said a ticket lottery set for Tuesday was pushed back to Saturday to accommodate any changes.
Fans from abroad were banned months ago from attending.
Two weeks ago organizers, the IOC, and others agreed to allow indoor and outdoor stadiums to be filled to 50% capacity with a ceiling of 10,000. Japanese news reports suggest the maximum may be dropped to 5,000 at all venues.
Some unconfirmed reports have suggested that no fans is still an option and that fan limits for night sessions could be stricter than day sessions.
There are fears that the Olympics could become a super-spreader event with 11,000 Olympic athletes and 4,400 Paralympians entering from more than 200 countries. Tens of thousands of judges, sponsors, broadcasters, and media must also enter.
Officials say that more than 80% of athletes and support staff will be vaccinated.
The more critical problem is the low vaccination rate in Japan, and the probability that holding Olympics events will encourage people to visit bars, restaurants, and use public transportation.
SOCCER: In East Hartford, Conn., Tobin Heath scored her second goal in as many games and the United States defeated Mexico 4-0 on Monday in the American women’s final match before the Olympics.
The United States is now undefeated in 44 straight matches, the second-longest unbeaten streak in team history. The Americans also extended their winning streak against Mexico to 15 games and improved to 39-1-1 overall. The lone U.S. loss in the series was in a 2010 World Cup qualifier.
U.S. coach Vlatko Andonovski continued to finetune his lineups in advance of the Olympics later this month. The United States, a four-time gold medal winner, is aiming to become the first team to follow a World Cup title with an Olympic gold medal.
Heath started after coming off the bench and scoring in the United States’ first send-off game against Mexico on Thursday, when the Americans also won by a 4-0 score. She hadn’t played for some six months because of injury.
Carli Lloyd got the start Monday in place of Alex Morgan, and midfielder Rose Lavelle got the nod while Kristie Mewis and Megan Rapinoe were available off the bench.
Rapinoe, Mewis and Morgan all started the second half.
The United States scored all its goals in the first half. Horan scored on a volley in the sixth minute, followed by Lloyd’s diving header in the 11th.
After an own goal in the 37th minute, Heath scored in the 39th.
Next up for the United States are the Tokyo Olympics. The Americans play Sweden — the team that knocked them out of the 2016 Games in the quarterfinals — to open the tournament in Japan on July 21.
Mexico did not make the field of 12 teams for the Tokyo Games.