Canada’s bid to defend its Olympic gold medal in women’s soccer was nearly thwarted until defender Vanessa Gilles scored a dramatic winner in the 12th minute of stoppage time, securing a 2-1 victory over host nation France and keeping the team’s knockout stage hopes alive.
The defending champions, who had been penalized six points by FIFA due to a drone-spying scandal involving the team at the Paris Olympics, faced a possible elimination from the quarterfinals unless they won their match on Sunday. The scandal also led to the suspension of coach Bev Priestman.
France, ranked second in the world, took the lead in the 42nd minute when Marie-Antoinette Katoto scored. However, Canada demonstrated resilience, with captain Jessie Fleming equalizing in the 58th minute after French goalkeeper Pauline Peyraud-Magnin spilled the ball.
As the match progressed into 13 minutes of stoppage time, Canada pressed for a winning goal. Kailen Sheridan made a crucial point-blank save to keep the game tied. Gilles, playing as a makeshift center-forward, scored the decisive goal in the final seconds with a low shot that hit the post and crossed the line, leading to celebrations by the Canadian team.
Following the match, Gilles stated, “We’ve been crying. What’s given us energy is each other, our determination, our pride to prove people wrong, our pride to represent this country when all this shit is coming out about our values and our representation as Canadians.”
She continued, “We’re not cheaters. We’re damn good players, we’re a damn good team, we’re a damn good group, and we proved that today.”
With the points deduction, Canada now has zero points. They must win their final Group A match against Colombia on Wednesday to advance to the quarterfinals and continue their defense of the gold medal won in Tokyo in 2021.
The Canadian team is considering an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport to contest the points penalty. A decision on this appeal is pending.
Acting head coach Andy Spence continued to lead the team on Sunday following Priestman’s suspension, along with two staff members, for their role in the spying scandal. Priestman expressed her regret in a statement released through her lawyers, saying she was “absolutely heartbroken” for the players and apologized for the scandal.
