TOKYO — Roughly 30 minutes into Mexico’s first Olympic match Thursday, goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa made a diving save to keep the game tied against France.
It was the kind of save that, in previous Summer Games, would have made the crowd roar in appreciation of a big moment on a big stage. Songs would be sung, chants would echo throughout the 48,000-seat arena.
These are the Quiet Games, an event muted by a pandemic that has killed 4.13 million people worldwide and fears of spreading the virus among Japan’s largely unvaccinated population.
The world got its first glimpse at the fan-free Games this week, as both softball and soccer held pool games ahead of Friday’s opening ceremony.