Copa warm-up rules changed after Marta criticism

South American soccer's governing assemblage CONMEBOL announced connected Friday that it has adjusted pre-match procedures astatine the Copa América Femenina successful Ecuador to let players to lukewarm up connected the pitch, pursuing criticism from Brazilian players and coaching staff.

"From present on, successful summation to goalkeepers who already had a 15-minute warm-up play connected the field, outfield players volition besides beryllium allowed to lukewarm up connected the transportation for the aforesaid duration," CONMEBOL told Reuters.

"This determination was made aft a elaborate appraisal of the information of the playing surfaces astatine the competition's stadiums to date, and aft taking into relationship feedback from immoderate participating teams."

Tournament organisers had barred outfield players from warming up connected the transportation to sphere the playing surface, with each stadium hosting 2 matches successful a time during the radical stage.

Brazil skipper Marta, midfielder Ary Borges, and caput manager Arthur Elias voiced their vexation aft their ascendant group-stage triumph implicit Bolivia, arsenic some teams had been forced to warm-up successful a shared country of astir 15 quadrate meters that smelled of paint.

"It's been a agelong clip since I played successful a tourney present successful South America, and we were saddened by these circumstances," Marta told Brazilian outlet Globo Esporte.

"Athletes are expected to execute good and enactment hard, but we besides person to request a precocious level of organisation."

They besides criticised the restrictions aft their tourney opener against Venezuela, saying they were incapable to decently measure Kerolin's fitness, which yet led to the Manchester City striker being sidelined.

Defending champions Brazil apical Group B with 2 wins and volition look Paraguay connected Tuesday.

Information from Reuters was utilized successful this report.