2024 Summer Olympics Women's Soccer Day 1 Recap
The USWNT started off their Olympic campaign with a win, Canada apparently really likes drones, and a quick look at the rest of the women's group play.
Just like the men’s tournament, the women also played all their group games on the same day. There’s only twelve teams and six games which doesn’t seem fair but it does lead to a pretty loaded field of teams. With just two qualification spots from all the regions (Oceania getting one along with hosts France), there’s a lot of heavy hitters missing, especially from Europe.
Even with England and Sweden missing out on the Women’s Nations League Finals, the tournament does feature seven Top 10 teams in the World and eight of the Top 15. Zambia’s ranking at 65 is misleading because Barbra Banda herself should be not be outside the Top 20 but I digress.
Just like the men’s recap, the scoreline links to the NBC Sports highlights if you want to check those out.
An flurry of goals from Trinity Rodman and a brace from Mallory Swanson in the span of eight minutes silenced any doubts about the USWNT’s finishing from their warm up matches. Rodman’s opener was exquisite and Swanson’s goals came a minute apart and then a first half red card all but sealed Zambia’s fate.
As always with women’s tournament play, there’s a significant amount of talk about goal difference, and the US certainly played well enough to add on several more in this one but couldn’t. With Germany beating Australia 3-0 as well, if it does come down to a GD tiebreaker the US missed a chance to run this one up but Zambia also did a good job of blocking shots in front of Ngambo Musole’s net and Musole made five saves on the day as well.
Overall it’s a good start for the US and I don’t think the GD talk is all that important for Group B who is setup at the bottom half of the knockout bracket already. The B winner would play the runner up of Group C (Spain, Brazil, Japan, Nigeria) and the B runner up plays the runner up in Group A (France, Canada, Colombia, New Zealand). So regardless you’re looking at a pretty stacked gauntlet of teams and the strong possibility of playing Germany again in the semis anyway.
Oh, the USA’s next game is against Germany so that result probably decides the group and could be one of the best games in the entire tournament.
The Ferns actually took the lead early in this one through Mackenzie Barry before a first half stoppage time equalizer from Cloe Lacasse leveled things right before halftime. A sublime through ball from Jessie Fleming to Evelyne Viens saw the substitute forward finish from a tight angle at the top of box to win it for the Canucks in the 79th.
All of that, not as important, because Canada played this game without head coach Bev Priestman who was suspended by Canada Soccer and sent home by the IOC after it was discovered two technical staffers, one assistant and one analyst, using a drone to record the NZ practice. Apparently this is not a new thing for Canada soccer and has been going on for a while. We’ll see if there’s any further action or punishment against Canada from this match and updates on Priestman’s status as the Canada WNT head coach.
The reigning World Cup champions and number one team in the world started off their campaign with a win thanks to a Mariona Caldentey second half winner.
Aoba Fujino opened the scoring for Japan with a world class free kick into the top corner in the 13th only to see the lead evaporate within ten minutes when Athenea del Castillo played in Aitana Bonmati in the 22nd who rounded Ayaka Yamashita for the finish. Bonmati, reigning Women’s Ballon D’or award winner, played a hand in the winner with a one-two combination back to Caldentey at the top of the box for a curling far post finish.
Perhaps some concern for Japan after this one, aside from the free kick goal they registered just four total shots and a meager 25% possession. Also entirely possible that Spain is just on another level right now.
A first half opener from Marina Hegering and two second half goals in quick succession from Lea Schuller and Jule Brand saw Germany dominate Australia in their opener. The Matildas playing without star striker Sam Kerr did not look great on offense while Germany easily could’ve piled on here but were let down by a 4 for 17 night of shooting. Ann-Katrin Berger making two saves in the shutout win.
A tremendously close game between these two, with chances throughout the match all around, including Chinwendu Ihezuo being absolutely robbed in the 15th minute by Lorena in the Brazil net. Marta thought she had the opener in the 35th minute only to have the offside flag come up through VAR in the build up.
But Brazil did not have to wait much longer for the breakthrough as Gabi Nunes belted a shot off the underside of the crossbar after being set up by what would normally be an impossible through ball if it came from anyone other than Marta.
Nigeria pressured until the end with several late corners but couldn’t get anything from them as the 1-0 scoreline held.
And last but not least, the hosts held on for a win in their opener despite being up 3-0 at halftime in this one. A first half brace from Marie-Antionette Katoto and another from Kenza Dali seemingly had France on their way to a comprehensive win.
Colombia had other ideas and regrouped, their first lifeline from the penalty spot in the 54th minute which was dispatched by Catalina Usme and then Manuela Pavi made it a game with the second. A 86th minute red card to striker Mayra Ramirez all but ended Colombia’s hopes, as VAR rightly judged the sending off after studs onto Selma Bacha’s ankle.
All teams will be in action again on Sunday for day two of the women’s olympic soccer tournament. Group A featuring New Zealand-Colombia (11am EDT) and France-Canada (3pm EDT), Group B featuring Australia-Zambia (1pm EDT) and USA-Germany (3pm EDT), and Group C featuring Brazil-Japan (11am EDT) and Spain-Nigeria (1pm EDT).