Security reviewed after Argentina fans jump fence


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RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — World Cup organizers are reviewing security after some Argentina fans without tickets got over fences at Maracana Stadium before the national team's match against Bosnia-Herzegovina.

"Those that jumped were apprehended and taken to the police," Saint-Clair Milesi, spokesman for Brazil's organizing committee, said on Monday. "Obviously we are going to reflect on this and reinforce with our security teams."

Around 10 ticketless fans were stopped by stadium stewards and handed over to police before the kickoff Sunday evening.

Argentina's 2-1 victory attracted a capacity crowd of 74,738 at Maracana, the biggest stadium at the World Cup which was hosting its first match. It will also stage the final.

Organizers had set up a security perimeter about 1 kilometer from the stadium several hours before kickoff to keep ticketless fans away. People with tickets can begin entering the stadium three hours before kickoff.

"It was an isolated incident and we don't expect it to happen again," Milesi told a daily briefing in the Maracana.

"We have to appeal to fans and say, 'Look, it's a party atmosphere. If you don't have a ticket you don't force an entry,'" he said.

Up to 50 fans were denied entry to see Argentina's win because their tickets were counterfeits.

FIFA spokeswoman Delia Fischer said an average of 20-30 high quality fake tickets per match were being intercepted.

"They are really extremely well done and only able to detect when they come to the turnstile, and the light doesn't come up green because it doesn't feature the right (security) chip," Fischer said.

Long queues have been a problem at some venues.

Security staff failing to arrive for work was given as a reason for hundreds of fans being late into the Brasilia stadium for Switzerland's 2-1 win against Ecuador on Sunday.

Around 30 percent of people hired by a third-party contractor to work magnetic screening machines did not arrive for the 1 p.m. local time (1400 GMT) kick off, Milesi said.

"We rely on a service and on a match day (if) it doesn't happen, it impacts on the fan," Milesi said. "We cannot let that happen."

The problem was compounded by people coming late to the Sunday lunchtime match.

"People tend to arrive later, wake up later on the weekends," Milesi said. "That poses a challenge."

On a Sunday of difficulties at all three matches, the France vs. Honduras match went ahead without national anthems being played in Porto Alegre.

Milesi said a problem with cables was solved during the match.

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