Football Kickoff: Aitana Bonmati, the current winner of the Ballon d’Or, scored one goal and set up another as World Cup winners Spain beat Japan 2-1 in their first game of the women’s Olympic football event on Thursday. The United States, who have won a record four gold medals, beat Zambia 3-0.
Spain is playing their first Olympics in women’s football at the Paris Games. However, they are one of the favourites to win gold after winning the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand last year.
They were behind to Japan’s Aoba Fujino’s great free kick early in the match in Nantes, France, in Group C. But Bonmati quickly tied the game by beating the custodian and scoring in the middle of the first half.
Then, in the 74th minute, Spain won when Mariona Caldentey passed the ball to Bonmati and then shot in.
There is room for mistake because the 12 teams are split into three groups of four. The two best third-place teams will go to the quarterfinals.
That will make Japan feel better since they won the silver title at London 2012.
Seven of Spain’s starting eleven players were also in the team that beat England in the World Cup final last year in Sydney. The team also included two-time Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas.
Along the same line, two-time silver medallists The score was 1-0 for Brazil in Bordeaux.
Marta, who was 38 years old and in her sixth Olympics, had a shot taken away for offside before setting up Gabi Nunes for the only goal late in the first half.
—a Swanson double—
The USA has a young team at the Games, but they are very hopeful that their new coach, Emma Hayes, will help them do well.
They easily beat Zambia in Nice, but they should have won by a bigger margin since they scored three goals in the first half against a team that had a player sent off before halftime.
Trinity Rodman and Mallory Swanson both hit the post before Rodman, who is the daughter of former NBA star Dennis Rodman, scored with a beautiful turn and finish in the box 17 minutes in.
In the 24th minute, Swanson made it 2-0 by finishing off Lindsey Horan’s pass. A minute later, she scored again by going around the keeper and slotting the ball in.
There were tears in Pauline Zulu’s eyes when she was sent off for a hit on Sophia Smith after a VAR review just before halftime. Even with the extra player, the USA still couldn’t score any more goals.
Germans beat Australia 3-0 in Marseille, with Marina Hegering and Lea Schueller scoring headers before Jule Brand sealed the win. Germany won the gold title in 2016.
On Sunday, the USA and Germany play each other in Marseille.
– Canada doesn’t care about the spying scandal; France beat Colombia 3-2 in Lyon, where there were a lot of empty seats to welcome the hosts.
France looked like they were going to win after Marie-Antoinette Katoto scored twice in the first half, one after Kenza Dali’s goal.
Early in the second half, Catalina Usme scored a penalty to tie the game. Substitute Manuela Pavi then made it even before Mayra Ramirez was sent off, ending Colombia’s chances of salvaging a point.
In the same Group A, Canada beat New Zealand 2-1 in Saint-Etienne, even though there was a spying story involving the team.
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New Zealand took the lead when Mackenzie Barry scored in front of a small crowd at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard.
Cloe Lacasse of Arsenal tied the game in extra time in the first half for Canada. Three years ago, Canada beat Sweden on penalties in the final in Tokyo. Eleven minutes from the end, Evelyne Viens scored the winning goal.
Two people from Canada’s coaching staff were sent home from the Olympics the day before the game, which took away from their preparations.
Joey Lombardi, the analyst, was given a suspended eight-month prison sentence for flying a drone over a New Zealand training practice this week in Saint-Etienne. He is 43 years old.
Head coach Bev Priestman said she was sorry and didn’t play in the game against New Zealand because she thought it was inappropriate.
“This is not what Canadians believe in. “This is an embarrassment, but we are not cheaters,” said spokeswoman Vanessa Gilles.
