Canadian women’s soccer team advances to Olympic quarterfinals against all odds

Canada’s women’s soccer team beat Columbia on Wednesday to advance to the Olympic quarterfinals, despite some major challenges in their path.

The much-needed win comes just days after FIFA docked six points from the team after two assistant coaches were caught using drones to spy on New Zealand’s training sessions last week before their opening game at the 2024 Olympics. The deduction meant that the team needed to win all three of their group stage matches to be able to advance to the next round.

Canada’s women’s soccer team, who won bronze medals in the 2012 and 2016 Olympics before taking gold at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, defeated Colombia 1-0 after Vanessa Gilles scored in the 61^st minute of the game.  Prior to this, the Canadians beat New Zealand 2-1 in their opening match last Thursday before beating no. 2-ranked France (2-1) on Sunday.

Although Canada won all three games, the team only has three points due to FIFA’s six-point penalty.

“We did it, we always believed in it,” Gilles told CBC Olympics after Wednesday’s game. “We always knew that we could do it. The chances were stacked against us but we pulled through. We stayed together through it all.”

“The world might be against us, but Canada is sticking with us, and hopefully, we go all the way.”

Of the team’s 22 players, eight are from the GTA:

• Jayde Riviere, 23, is from Markham — this is her second appearance at an Olympic Games (Tokyo 2021, Paris 2024).
• Jade Rose, 21, is also from Markham — Paris 2024 marks her first Olympic Games.
• Kailen Sheridan, 29, is from Pickering and grew up in Whitby — she was part of Team Canada at Rio in 2016 and Tokyo in 2021.
• Quinn, 28, is from Toronto — Paris 2024 marks their third Olympic Games (Rio 2016, Tokyo 2021, Paris 2024).
• Ashley Lawrence, 29, was born in Toronto and grew up in Caledon East. Paris 2024 marks her third Olympic Games (Rio 2016, Tokyo 2021, Paris 2024). Fun story — just hours before she won an Olympic Gold Medal in 2021, the City of Caledon honoured her by proclaiming it Ashley Lawrence Day.
• Adriana Leon, 31, was born in Mississauga — this is her second appearance at an Olympic Games (Tokyo 2021, Paris 2024).
• Nichelle Prince, 29, is from Ajax — this is also her second appearance at an Olympic Games (Tokyo 2021, Paris 2024).
• Kadeisha Buchanan, 28, was born in Toronto and grew up in Brampton — Paris 2024 marks her third Olympic Games (Rio 2016, Tokyo 2021, Paris 2024). In December 2021, the Kadeisha Buchanan Field at Creditview Sandalwood Park was named in her honour by the City of Brampton.

Next up, Canada will face Germany in the quarterfinals on Saturday at 1 p.m.

As of publication, Canada has seven medals (two gold, two silver, and three bronze), this includes a gold medal to Christa Deguchi, who beat Huh Mimi of South Korea in the women’s under-57 kg judo final on Monday, and a gold medal for Toronto’s own Summer McIntosh. 

You can cheer on Team Canada at these Toronto sports bars.