Defending champions Canada take on Germany on Saturday in a bid to reach the semi-finals of the Olympic women’s soccer tournament after beating them despite a points deduction for a spying scandal.
Four-time gold medalists the United States and World Cup holders Spain are also in action in the round of 16.
Canada’s hopes of repeating their trip to gold in Tokyo three years ago appeared to have ended when they were handed six points by FIFA for a penalty for using a drone to spy on New Zealand training.
Coach Bev Priestman was suspended for a year.
But the Canadians beat Colombia 1-0 in Nice on Wednesday to make it three wins out of three, hours after an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport against their points deduction was rejected.
After a remarkable sequence of events, the eighth-seeded nation advanced to the quarter-finals and will now face 2016 gold medalists Germany in Marseille on Saturday.
“We always knew we could do it. The odds were stacked against us, but we did it,” defender Vanessa Gilles, the match-winner against France and Colombia, told Canada’s CBC.
“We still believe the penalty was unfair, unjust and unprecedented.”
Germany lost 4-1 to the USA in the group stage, but came through with wins against Australia and Zambia, and Horst Hrubesch’s side may be a step up from anything Canada has faced so far.
The United States, aiming for a record-extending fifth women’s soccer gold, will face Japan in Paris in a repeat of the London 2012 final, which they won 2-1.
Under new coach Emma Hayes, the USA won all three of their group games, with their attacking trio of Trinity Rodman, Mallory Swanson and Sophia Smith impressing.
“Honestly, we’re kind of like sisters. This group that we have right now is special and we’re having a lot of fun,” Swanson said.
The teams have also met in the 2011 and 2015 World Cup finals with one victory each, and Japan will be confident they can compete with the traditional powerhouse of the women’s game.
Spain will take a little pause after the world champions made it to the round of 16 with a 100 percent record in the group stage.
The team led by Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bonmati will be heavy favorites in Lyon against Colombia, who advanced as the best team in third place.
However, Alexia Putellas warned her teammates not to take the South Americans lightly.
“It’s going to be difficult to win every game,” Putellas told FIFA.com, explaining that teams are going defensive against Spain.
“At times we struggled to find our rhythm. Brazil, for example, were really good at stifling our attacks.”
Brazil were handicapped against Spain – a 2-0 defeat of the South Americans – by the exclusion of captain Marta, one of the greats of the women’s game.
The 38-year-old’s chances of her sixth Olympics, now on hold, hinge on Brazil beating France in Nantes.
Herve Renard’s French side were not always convincing in the group stage, but boast lethal striker Marie-Antoinette Katoto, the tournament’s top scorer with five goals.
“Marie carries the team because she is so clinical,” Renard said after Wednesday’s 2-1 win against New Zealand. “She doesn’t need many chances to score. France or Brazil will face Spain or Colombia in the semi-finals, USA or Japan will face Canada or Germany.
