Defending champions Canada defeated New Zealand 2-1 in their Paris Olympics opening game on Thursday in a match overshadowed by a spying scandal that has engulfed the women’s tournament.
Cloe Lacasse and Evelyne Viens scored on a night which might have been a routine group win for Canada, before being pushed into the global spotlight due to a spying scandal.
The situation saw manager Bev Priestman sitting out Thursday’s game and two staff members sent home amid allegations of drone use at two New Zealand practice sessions.
Assistant Andy Spence acted as coach, while Priestman, who had removed herself from the game after New Zealand’s complaint, watched it from the team hotel.
The full fallout from the scandal is yet to be known, as Canada Soccer has launched an independent external review into the matter.
Global football’s governing body FIFA has also begun disciplinary proceedings.
Joseph Lombardi, one of the staff members sent home, was handed an eight-month suspended jail term and his material was confiscated, a French court said.
New Zealand coach Indiah-Page Riley, meanwhile, said the scandal “lit a fire in our bellies.”
Mackenzie Barry shocked the Canadians by opening the scoring with a goal in the 13th minute when she fired home off the underside of the crossbar after Katie Kitching’s corner-kick.
But Canada eventually proved too strong for the women’s football minnows, whose best Olympic finish was a quarter-final appearance in 2012.
Lacasse levelled in first-half added time, stabbing home from close-range after some exquisite passing.
Viens netted the winner in the 79th minute in front of a sparse crowd at Geoffrey-Guichard Stadium.
This Wasa when she ran onto a pinpoint long pass from Jessie Fleming and fired first-time into the far corner from a tight angle.
France beat Colombia 3-2 in Thursday’s late Group A match, while Spain beat Japan 2-1 in their Group C opener.
Canada football coach sent home from Paris Olympics
Canada has sent home their women’s Olympic football coach, Bev Priestman, following allegations of drones being used to spy on their opponents.
Canada are the women’s Olympic champions from Tokyo 2020 and had already sent home two members of staff on Wednesday.
That was after drones were used to spy on a New Zealand practice in France.
The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) said in a statement on Friday it had now removed Priestman from the team due to her suspension by Canada Soccer.
“Over the past 24 hours, additional information has come to our attention regarding previous drone use against opponents, predating the Paris 2024 Olympic Games,” Canada Soccer chief executive Kevin Blue said.
“In (the) light of these new revelations, Canada Soccer has made the decision to suspend Women’s National Soccer Team Head Coach Bev Priestman for the remainder of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
“This will also be in place until the completion of our recently-announced independent external review.”
Assistant coach Andy Spence will take the reins for the remainder of the Olympic Games.
Canada defeated New Zealand 2-1 in their tournament opener on Thursday.
Priestman had earlier removed herself from coaching the match on Wednesday.