Canada vs. New Zealand
Paris 2024 Olympic Games — Group Stage Match One
July 25, 2024 at 11 a.m. ET/8 a.m. PT
Stade Geoffroy-Guichard in Saint-Étienne, France

The opening match at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games will be something of a full circle moment for the Canadian women’s national team.

As Canada begins the journey to try and defend their Olympic title from three summers ago at the Tokyo 2020 Games, they will be up against New Zealand first — the team that visited Canada for the first stops of the coast-to-coast Celebration Tour after the Olympics. Those two matches — a 5-1 win for Canada in Ottawa and a 1-0 victory a few days later in Montreal in October 2021 — were the last two meetings between these sides.

Like Canada, New Zealand has qualified for every Olympic Games since 2008, but the teams have had very different results. While Les Rouges has reached the podium in three of their fourth appearances — winning bronze at London 2012 and Rio 2016, and gold in Tokyo — New Zealand has been at the other end of the scale. Just once has New Zealand advanced from the group stage at the Olympics, at London 2012, where they lost the eventual champions from the United States in the quarterfinals.

New Zealand breezed through the OFC qualifying tournament earlier this year, booking their ticket to Paris 2024. They have only won one of five matches since, however, a 4-0 win over Thailand in April.

Most recently the Football Ferns drew 1-1 with in a friendly with Zambia on July 13. The lone goal for the Football Ferns came from the penalty spot, off the foot of Katie Kitching. After that match, head coach Michael Mayne said that Zambia provided a similar test to those of their group stage opponents Canada, France, and Colombia, and was therefore good preparation.

“I think one of the big things is the way Zambia threatened our defensive line,” said Mayne in an interview with the New Zealand Football website. “That’s going to be something that all the teams we face at the Olympics are going to do to us… so I think we can take a lot from that. they’re a tough team around set plays and they caught us off guard early in the second half, which was disappointing, so we’ll have to look at that, but there’s plenty we can learn for that first game against Canada and the next ones against Colombia and France.

“We’re much better as a team when we’re super positive in that middle third and looking to break the line. So I’m pleased in that respect, but we had a word after the game and we need to go back to work pretty quickly and improve individually. If we can do that, then as a team we’re going to be much better for it.”

Canada qualified in September 2023, beating Jamaica over two legs to give themselves a chance to defend their title, shortly after crashing out in the group stages of the Women’s World Cup.

They lost their first match after qualifying for the Olympics, but since then have not lost a match in regulation time — a 14-game streak going back to the end of October. They did lose twice on penalties, both times to the United States, in the semifinal of the Concacaf W Gold Cup in March and in the final of the SheBelieves Cup just over a month later.

Canada played a pair of pre-tournament friendlies in Spain leading up to the Olympics, beating both Australia and Nigeria. Nichelle Prince and Evelyne Viens helped Canada pick up the win against the Aussies after initially going down a goal, while in the Nigeria match it was Jordyn Huitema who found the back of the net in a 1-0 victory.

Canada and Nigeria also did a mock penalty shootout after their match, in case they are needed in Paris like they were on multiple occasions in Tokyo.

Canada did suffer a loss in that Nigeria match, however, as Sydney Collins — playing her first match after fracturing her right leg in February — fractured her other leg and was ruled out of the Olympics. Canada were forced to go to their list of alternates, replacing Collins in the 18-player squad with Gabrielle Carle, and replacing Carle on the alternate list with veteran midfielder Desiree Scott. Collins played a lot of minutes for Canada prior to her injury, and is a loss to a Canadian side that believes they can repeat as champions.

New Zealand had to draw in an alternate as well on Wednesday, replacing captain Ali Riley with Auckland United left back Michaela Foster. Grace Neville replaced Foster on their alternate list.

Canada will also be without several members of their coaching staff on Thursday, after being caught using a drone to spy on New Zealand training on two separate occasions. Bev Priestman voluntarily removed herself from coaching Thursday’s match against the Football Ferns. Analyst Joseph Lombardi was sent home by the Canadian Olympic Committee, as was assistant coach Jasmine Mander, who Lombardi reports to.

Canada Soccer staff will also undergo mandatory ethics training.

“On behalf of our entire team, I first and foremost want to apologize to the players and staff at New Zealand Football and to the players on Team Canada. This does not represent the values that our team stands for,” Priestman said in a statement after the sanctions. “I am ultimately responsible for conduct in our program.

“Accordingly, to emphasize our team’s commitment to integrity, I have decided to voluntarily withdraw from coaching the match on Thursday. In the spirit of accountability, I do this with the interests of both teams in mind and to ensure everyone feels that the sportsmanship of this game is upheld.”

Canada will be coached on Thursday by Andy Spence. Spence was the Everton manager for the better part of a decade, and has been one of Bev Priestman’s assistants since January 2022.

PROJECTED LINEUPS

Canada: Sheridan; Rose, Gilles, Buchanan; Lawrence, Awujo, Fleming, Carle; Leon, Prince, Lacasse

New Zealand: Esson; Bott, Bowen, Stott, A. Riley; Green, Steinmetz, Taylor, Kitching; Clegg, Hand

ALL-TIME SERIES

Canada wins: 10 || New Zealand wins: 1 || Draws: 4

Last meeting:

October 26, 2021 – Canada 1-0 New Zealand