Women’s football: Australia, Spain and Japan at their best

Aitana Bonmati from Spanish Team. GETTY IMAGES

The Canada women’s football team were deducted six points in the Olympic tournament for using drones to spy on other teams.

The first match was Colombia vs. New Zealand, in which the Colombian team continued to make history and achieved its first victory in the Olympic Games with a 2-0 win. The Lyon stadium is the stage where the Colombia Women’s national team for the first time in history gets a victory in the Olympic Games. Marcela Restrepo led the way for the Tricolor and Leicy Santos put the finishing touch on a 2-0 win that leaves the Tricolor in first place in Group A at Paris 2024.

Angelo Marsiglia, who is in his first official tournament as Colombia coach, told Reuters that “we’ve done a great job, we’re taking it step by step, we’re growing within the tournament itself. Today Colombia is far superior and we hope that against Canada it will be the same story. This is a very generous team, in which everyone runs for everyone else, no matter who lost the ball there was someone ready to run to get the ball back. I’m calm because of what Colombia showed”.

Another battle was between Japan and Brazil, where Japan came from behind to beat Brazil and maintain their chances of qualifying, with a 2-1 win for Japan. As anticipated, Brazil faced a tough challenge against Nigeria but ultimately secured a crucial 1-0 victory in their World Cup group stage match. This hard-fought win is vital in a challenging group that features reigning world champions Spain, emphasizing the importance of every point earned.

Brazil now had an opportunity to clinch their qualification, but their next test won’t be easy. They faced a formidable Japan side, who were desperate for a win after a narrow 2-1 loss to Spain in their opener. Japan knew that another defeat could spell disaster, making their pursuit of three points all the more intense.

Other of the main events were about Spain and Nigeria. Spain is into the quarter-final after finally breaking Nigeria’s defence after a valiant effort from Nigeria. 

However, it was a moment of ill-discipline to concede a needless free-kick out wide. Goalkeeper Nnadozie was in two minds whether it was a cross or a shot and in the end, it looped over her head.

In the case of Australia, they had a little margin for error as they looked to kickstart their Paris 2024 campaign against a side that posed a serious threat in attack. Australia had been given a boost earlier in the day after Canada was deducted six points after the New Zealand Olympic Committee reported a drone was flown over the Football Ferns’ training session on Monday, which could help them sneak through to the quarter-finals. 

The Matildas of Australia go 4-2 down at half-time to Zambia in a must-win game after their opening loss. But that wasn’t the end of the scoring. After six goals in the first half, we got five in the second, as Australia staged an incredible comeback to win 6-5. Earlier, in a shock result, Marta’s Brazil lost 2-1 to Japan.

Japan resist with strong Tanikawa

Momoko Tanikawa of Team Japan celebrates scoring her team's second goal during the Women's Group C match between Brazil and Japan. GETTY IMAGES
Momoko Tanikawa of Team Japan celebrates scoring her team’s second goal during the Women’s Group C match between Brazil and Japan. GETTY IMAGES

 scored a stunning 96th-minute winner as Japan netted twice in injury time to come from behind and beat Brazil 2-1 in the Olympic women’s football tournament on Sunday. 

Japan, the 2012 silver medallists, were staring at a second straight defeat in Group C that would have left them in serious danger of a first-round exit after Jhennifer put Brazil ahead early in the second half.

Captain Saki Kumagai rolled in a 92nd-minute penalty to equalise at the Parc des Princes in Paris before 19-year-old substitute Tanikawa’s incredible first-time shot from 30 metres sailed over the goalkeeper and in for the winner.

The result means Japan and Brazil — silver medallists in 2004 and 2008 — are now level on three points after two matches. World Cup holders Spain also have three points before playing Nigeria later in Nantes. The top two teams in each of the three groups advance to the quarter-finals along with the two best third-placed sides.

Japan squandered a first penalty in stoppage time at the end of the opening half, as Mina Tanaka’s weak kick was easily saved by Lorena in the Brazil goal after Rafaelle was penalised for handball. Brazil then went ahead on 56 minutes as veteran star Marta, playing at her sixth Olympics, sent a superb ball in behind for Ludmila who teed up Jhennifer to fire in.

It looked as though that would be that — but Japan won another spot-kick for handball following a VAR review, this time by Yasmim, as the game went into injury time. Kumagai made no mistake from the spot to level matters for Japan, who lost 2-1 to Spain in their first outing. But Japan was not finished, as Tanikawa pounced on a loose pass by Rafaelle to score the jaw-dropping winner. Elsewhere Colombia beat New Zealand 2-0 in Lyon in Group A, in which hosts France play reigning Olympic champions Canada later.

The Canadians are in turmoil after being deducted six points on Saturday for the spying scandal which led to coach Bev Priestman being suspended for a year by FIFA. Record four-time gold medallists the United States take on Germany in Marseille in Group B.

Canadian women’s with six points less

FIFA announced on Saturday that the team had been fined six points and coach Beverly Priestman was suspended for a year.

The sanction affects the Canadian football federation, which has been declared ‘responsible for not respecting the applicable FIFA regulations’, which expressly mentions the prohibition of the use of drones over training venues, and includes a fine of 200,000 Swiss francs (226,000 dollars).

The main consequence is that the Canadians drop three points in Group A ahead of a meeting with hosts France in Saint-Etienne on Sunday. Despite beating New Zealand 2-1 in their opening match on Thursday, the withdrawal of those points means they now have to win their next two matches to have any chance of reaching the quarter-finals.



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