As it transpired, the final was played in a poor spirit: with Belgium leading 2–0 in the 40th minute courtesy of a Robert Coppee penalty in the 6th minute and a Henri Larnoe goal in the 30th minute that was disputed but allowed to stand, Karel Pešek, the Czechoslovakia and Sparta Prague captain, pulled his team from the field in protest after Lewis had ejected Czech left-back Karel Steiner for assaulting Coppee. 15 minutes later, after Lewis had awarded the match and the gold medal to Belgium, the home crowd, led by Belgian soldiers, invaded the field.