France vs. Canada
Paris 2024 Olympic Games — Group Stage Match Two
July 25, 2024 at 3 p.m. ET/12 p.m. PT
Stade Geoffroy-Guichard in Saint-Étienne, France
The Canadian women’s national team will hit the pitch again at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on Sunday, facing the hosts France in their second group stage match.
They do so after a disastrous week which has seen three coaches removed from the Olympic team amidst a drone spying scandal and a saga that seems far from over. Ahead of Canada’s opening match, performance analyst Joey Lombardi was arrested in Saint-Étienne for using a drone to spy on a pair of New Zealand training sessions. Lombardi and assistant coach Jasmine Mander (who Lombardi reports to) were then sent back to Canada by the Canadian Olympic Committee, and head coach Bev Priestman made the decision not to coach the match.
Andy Spence took the reins of the national team for that match, and will do so for the rest of the tournament after Priestman was sent home as well on Thursday and suspended by Canada Soccer until an independent external review of repeated drone use by the national team concludes.
Further discipline came on Saturday ahead of Canada’s second match at the Olympics, with global football governing body FIFA handing out some strong punishments. Canada was deducted six points from their group stage campaign, and will enter Sunday’s match on minus-three points after winning their opening match against New Zealand. Canada Soccer and the Canadian Olympic Committee announced on Saturday that they are exploring their options regarding an appeal for the six-point deduction.
Priestman, Mander, and Lombardi have also all been banned from all football-related activity for a period of one year, and the team faces a fine of 200,000 Swiss francs.
With two matches left, it is not impossible for Canada to advance out of the group stage still, but the actions of the team’s departed coaches have left them in an incredibly challenging position.
Canada opened its tournament on Thursday with a 2-1 win over New Zealand. Mackenzie Barry got the Football Ferns on the board in the 13th minute, picking out the top left corner of the Canadian net with a shot that went in off the bottom of the crossbar. Cloé Lacasse equalized for Canada in first half stoppage time, finishing off a fantastic team move up the pitch. Evelyne Viens won the match for Canada in the 79th minute, beating goalkeeper Anna Leat with a well-placed shot into the bottom left corner to pick up a 2-1 lead.
France put three goals past Colombia in the first half of their tournament opener, seemingly en route to a dominant victory, but Colombia pulled two back in the second half to reduce the deficit to just a 3-2 result. That gives both them and New Zealand a shot at potentially advancing to the quarterfinals, as the top two teams in each group advance to the knockouts, along with the two best third-place teams.
With their six-point deduction, it will be difficult for Canada to advance, especially if they fail to beat France on Sunday.
Canada most recently played France in a friendly at Stade Marie-Marvingt in Le Mans, France on April 11, 2023. Jordyn Huitema scored in that match for Les Rouges, but goals from Grace Geyoro and Léa Le Garrec saw the hosts pick up the win.
It was France who Canada beat for their first-ever Olympic medal in women’s football, at the London 2012 Olympics. Diana Matheson scored a famous 92nd-minute winner in the bronze medal game of that competition, earning Canada a 1-0 victory and a spot on the podium at City of Coventry Stadium.
PROJECTED LINEUPS
France: Magnin; Lakrar, Mbock Bathy, Renard, Karchaoui; Dali, Toletti, Geyoro; D. Cascarino, Katoto, Diani
Canada: Sheridan; Rose, Gilles, Buchanan; Lawrence, Awujo, Fleming, Carle; Leon, Prince, Beckie
ALL-TIME SERIES
France wins: 8 || Canada wins: 5 || Draws: 3
Last meeting:
April 11, 2023 – France 2-1 Canada