Page 84 - Soccer360 Issue 107

SUMMER OLYMPICS 2024
BY SEAN MASLIN
THE KIWIS REPORTED TO FRENCH POLICE THAT A DRONE HAD BEEN FLYING OVER THEIR PRACTICES.
T CANADIAN FOLLY
itle defenses are never easy tasks. reported to French police that a drone had blow to their defense aspirations. The Despite knowing what it takes to been flying over their practices. The French Canadian players didn’t go down without a make it to the top, success can be a police traced the drone back to Canadian fight. Despite being dealt a minus six-point double-edged sword in that always staff member Joseph Lombardi. Although blow, the side finished second in their group seems to bring new challenges and they defeated New Zealand 2-1 reeling off back-to-back one-goal victories new challenges. While the stakes the story was no longer about the over France (2-1) and Colombia (1-0) to
are certainly raised by competitors players and their title defense but about advance to the next round. Their luck ran title holders are often their own the scope of Canada’s spying operations. out in the Round of 16, falling to eventual worst enemy. That was certainly Before the New Zealand match, CANWNT bronze medalist Germany 4-2 in penalties the case for the Canadian Women’s head coach Bev Priestman had announced after drawing 0-0 in regulation.
National Team who after winning that she would not be coaching the team The results on the pitch though were
the 2022 Gold Medal were unable to repeat during that match (Lombardi and assistant overshadowed by the brewing commotion
as champions in Paris. As opposed to other champions who have fallen short due
to on-the-field performance, CANWNT’s self-inflicted problems were due to spying. On July 22nd, before their first group play match against New Zealand, the Kiwis
coach Jasmine Mander had already been sent home). The hits continued days later when FIFA banned Priestman, Mander,
and Lombardi were each banned for one year. The team was also given a six-point deduction in the Olympics, dealing a major
off of the pitch. During and after the Olympics, accusations have continued to pile up against the Canadian Women’s Team over their alleged use of drone operations throughout the years, including their
2021 Gold Medal victory. While FIFA and
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