August 1 – On the day that Canada’s appeal against a six-point deduction for spying was rejected by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), the Olympic champions rallied to edge past Colombia 1-0 and clinch a ticket to the last eight.
In a show of resilience and togetherness, central defender Vanessa Gilles came to the rescue again for the North Americans with the winning header near the hour mark to ensure a perfect record for her team after wins against New Zealand and France.
Following their points deduction, confirmed by CAS on Wednesday, Canada finished on three points in the group, but that was enough to set up a quarter-final tie against Germany.
Gilles had also scored a last-gasp winner against France and this time her header whizzed past the Colombian number one from an assist by substitute Evelyne Viens.
For much of the match, Canada struggled to break down Colombia, who had moments of their own, in particular with the industrious Linda Caicedo on the flank. She was one of last year’s stars at the Women’s World Cup and the W Gold Cup earlier this year.
Colombia have been rewarded for their consistency with a quarter-final encounter against Spain.
Canada however remain the story of the tournament as the players and staff dealt with the fallout of dronegate.
“We still believe the sanctions were just unjust, unfair and unprecedented,” said Gilles. “We didn’t gain any advantage in any of the games moving forward, and we showed that we were able to win all three without a head coach, without any sort of advantage.”
In the other quarter-finals, hosts France play Brazil and the Americans take on Japan in a repeat of the 2011 World Cup final. The Olympic women’s tournament will draw to a close with the final on August 10.
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