TOKYO, JAPAN — Canada are Olympic champions after winning the Tokyo 2020 Women’s Olympic Football Tournament in Yokohama, Japan. Canada were the 3-2 winners on kicks from the penalty mark after a 1:1 draw with Sweden in the Friday Gold Medal Final at Yokohama Stadium.
Unbeaten across six matches, Canada Soccer achieved their best-ever result at the Olympic Games while also winning their third consecutive medal, thus “changing the colour of their medal” from back-to-back Bronze at London 2012 and Rio 2016 to Gold at Tokyo 2020. This marks the first time that Canada Soccer’s National Teams have won a major world tournament (FIFA World Cup or Olympic Games).
Canada’s 22 Olympic champions are captain Christine Sinclair, Janine Beckie, Kadeisha Buchanan, Gabrielle Carle, Allysha Chapman, Jessie Fleming, Vanessa Gilles, Julia Grosso, Jordyn Huitema, Stephanie Labbé, Ashley Lawrence, Adriana Leon, Erin McLeod, Nichelle Prince, Quinn, Jayde Riviere, Deanne Rose, Sophie Schmidt, Desiree Scott, Kailen Sheridan, Evelyne Viens, and Shelina Zadorsky.
“We wanted to create a moment in Canadian history that can change the game forever,” said Bev Priestman, Canada Soccer’s Women’s National Team Head Coach. “We knew that we were going to get Gold and we were going to do anything in our power to make Canada proud and the players absolutely did that. It went right to the very end, but when this group faces adversity, they step up.”
It was the first-ever Women’s Olympic Football Tournament Final decided on kicks from the penalty mark after Sweden’s Stina Blackstenius (35’) and Canada’s Jessie Fleming (67’) exchanged goals in the first and second half. After extra time, Canada scored on three of their six kicks while Sweden scored on just two. Canada goalkeeper Stephanie Labbé made two saves while Fleming, Deanne Rose and Julia Grosso scored for Canada.
Labbé became the first Canadian goalkeeper to twice make two saves on kicks from the penalty mark in the same competition, having also eliminated Brazil in the Quarter-finals after a 0:0 draw. Canada reached the Olympic Gold Medal Final with a historic 1:0 win over USA in the Semi-Finals on a goal by Fleming.
This was the sixth head-to-head meeting between Canada and Sweden in a major international tournament since 1988, with Canada coming out on top for the first time at Tokyo 2020. Sweden previously eliminated Canada at major tournaments in 1988 (Quarter-finals), 2003 (Semi-finals), and 2019 (Round of 16). Sweden also won a group stage match at Beijing 2008 while the two sides drew 2:2 in the group stage at London 2012.
Canada were already the first Canadian team to win back-to-back medals at the Summer Olympic Games in more than a century and are now the only traditional team sport to accomplish the feat at three consecutive Olympic Games. There are only three nations in women’s football that have been on the Olympic podium on three occasions with Canada joining Germany and the USA. All three nations also boast the largest number of female registered players in the world.
Also of note, Bev Priestman was the only female Head Coach leading their team to the Semi-finals of this year’s Olympic Football Tournaments. The youngest Head Coach at Tokyo 2020, Priestman served as an Assistant Coach when Canada won Bronze at Rio 2016 and previously served as one of the early architects of Canada Soccer’s EXCEL Program which provided a fully-aligned program from Regional EXCEL Centres to Canada Soccer’s Youth National Teams. At the Olympic Games in Japan, Priestman is surrounded by an exceptional staff that features 13 women, the most ever by a Canada Soccer team at a major international competition.
“With you this group of players, deep down I think the whole lot of them have done it for Christine Sinclair to get that Gold Medal that she truly deserves,” said Priestman. “She’s a special human being. She shows the values of Canadians – humility. She does anything it takes to make her country proud and she deserves this special moment.”
“I’m so proud of this team because we had a goal to change the colour of the medal and we landed on the top of the podium,” said Canada captain Christine Sinclair. “We didn’t make it easy on ourselves, but we fought and clawed and scratched our way to the top. It’s an honour to be a part of this group.”
“This team has worked so hard for this, but we set our minds to it,” said Canada goalkeeper Stephanie Labbé who made two saves in the kicks from the penalty mark. “The past two years have been incredibly challenging for so many people around the world. This is just a big props to all the hard work that this team has put in behind the scenes on those hard days when you don’t want to get up or you don’t want to get that workout in.”
“This is a surreal feeling,” said Canada midfielder Julia Grosso who took the last kick of the match. “I’m so proud of this team. We worked so hard day in and day out. It’s the best feeling in the world and I’ve never felt like that in my whole life. It’s something that I will remember forever.”
“To be a part of this group now standing on the top of the podium honestly I never thought I’d be part of that group,” said Sinclair. “I thought that Canada was capable of it at some point, but it happened fast. We won three Olympic medals after John (Herdman) came in and changed everything for us. He changed the trajectory of the program and I think a lot is owed to him.”
Canada Soccer Media Release
Photo Credit: Canada Soccer
