Despite being docked six points by FIFA for the drone-spying scandal, the Canadian women’s soccer team is still alive at the Olympics in Paris.
Canada came from behind to earn a dramatic 2-1 win vs. France at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard in Saint-Étienne on Sunday, a result that helped it stave off elimination and kept alive it hopes of repeating as Olympic champions.
Deep into injury time, Vanessa Gilles scored on a rebound attempt that hit the near post and tucked inside the net to secure a massive three points for Canada, which was facing a must-win situation.
But Canada’s job isn’t over yet, as it faces a massive contest against Colombia in order to advance to the knockout round.
Here’s what you need to know about Canada’s crucial Group A finale against the South Americans.
QUICK HITS
• Wednesday’s match kicks off at 3 p.m. ET / noon PT at Stade de Nice in Nice.
• Canada is competing in Paris in its fifth Olympic tournament and is seeking to reach the medal podium for a fourth straight time after winning two bronzes (2012 and 2016) and gold (2021).
• Canada is also looking to become the first nation to win back-to-back Olympic gold medals since the United States won three in a row from 2004 to 2012.
• Colombia is making its third Olympic appearance this summer.
• The Canadians earned come-from-behind victories in their opening two contests of the group stage against New Zealand (2-1) and France (2-1).
• The Colombians rebounded from a 3-2 loss to France by earning their first-ever Olympic victory in a 2-0 defeat of New Zealand.
• Canada is No. 8 in the current FIFA world rankings. Colombia is 22nd.
THE SCENARIO FOR CANADA: A MUST-WIN MATCH
The 12-team field at the Paris Olympics is divided into three groups. The top two nations in each group, plus the two-best third-place teams overall, advance to the quarterfinals.
France and Colombia are tied for first place in Group A with three points, ahead of Canada and New Zealand (zero points). The Canadians would normally have six points in the bank thanks to their pair of wins, but they sit on zero points after FIFA’s six-point penalty. A Canadian Olympic Committee appeal on FIFA’s penalty was rejected Wednesday.
For Canada, the math is quite simple: A victory on Wednesday would see it secure a berth in the knockout round. Canada would finish first in Group A with a win if New Zealand also beats France on Wednesday.
A Canadian win and a France win or draw with New Zealand means the reigning Olympic champions would finish second in Group A. Canada would be eliminated from contention and fail to qualify for the quarterfinals with a draw or loss against Colombia, regardless of what happens in the other Group A game.
COLOMBIA SHOULD PROVIDE A STERN TEST
Colombia is making its third Olympic appearance this summer in Paris after bowing out in the group stage in 2012 and 2016 without winning a single game.
Las Chicas are one of the up-and-coming national teams in women’s football, as they are coming off a solid quarterfinal showing at last year’s FIFA World Cup. They were also runners-up at the 2022 Copa América Femenina.
The Colombians rebounded from a 3-2 loss to France in their opening group stage match by earning their first-ever Olympic victory, defeating New Zealand 2-0.
“Colombia is an unorthodox counter-attacking team and has world-class players in Linda Caicedo and Mayra Ramírez. They’ve got some top players that can really hurt you,” Bev Priestman told Sportsnet before the tournament.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Adriana Leon, Canada: The Aston Villa forward has been in fine form for Canada in 2024, scoring nine of the team’s 25 goals this year, or 36 per cent of its offensive production. Leon hasn’t found the back of the net in Paris, but she did play a key role in helping to set up Vanessa Gilles’ winning goal against France.
The 31-year-old scored a tournament-high six goals and tallied two assists for Canada at this year’s Concacaf W Gold Cup. She was also named to the competition’s Best XI. Leon, from Mississauga, Ont., has 40 goals and eight assists in 114 international games, and ranks as Canada’s third all-time leading scorer.
Linda Caicedo, Colombia: Only 19, Caicedo is one of the most dynamic and dangerous forwards in the women’s game. She became the second youngest player, at 18 years and 153 days, to score at a World Cup when she tallied in Colombia’s 2-0 win over South Korea in the group stage.
Her star has been on rise ever since making her professional debut in 2019 with América de Cali in her native Colombia. Top European clubs began tracking her, but it was Real Madrid who beat out rivals FC Barcelona and Chelsea to sign the talented Colombian last year.
PREVIOUS MEETINGS
Canada has only met Colombia twice, winning both times.
The Canadians needed an 88th-minute goal from substitute Robyn Gale to beat the South Americans 2-1 at the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico.
The following summer, Canada blanked Colombia 1-0 courtesy of a goal from former captain Christine Sinclair in an international friendly staged in Vevey, Switzerland. Midfielder Desiree Scott, who is one of four alternates on the current Canadian Olympic squad, started against Colombia that day.
John Molinaro is one of the leading soccer journalists in Canada, having covered the game for over 20 years for several media outlets, including Sportsnet, CBC Sports and Sun Media. He is currently the editor-in-chief of TFC Republic, a website dedicated to in-depth coverage of Toronto FC and Canadian soccer. TFC Republic can be found here.
