(Marseille) There will be new champions at the women’s Olympic soccer tournament as the Canadian team was eliminated by Germany in the quarter-finals of the Paris Games on Saturday in Marseille.
The Germans won 4-2 on penalties after neither team scored in regulation or extra time.
Canada won gold at the Tokyo Games in 2021.
Germany will face the United States on Tuesday in Lyon. The Americans beat Japan 1-0 earlier in the day.
PHOTO DANIEL COLE, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Evelyne Viens jumps over German goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger
It was the first loss for the Canadians, who qualified for the playoffs despite a six-point penalty from FIFA over a drone spying scandal. They finished second in Group A despite a 3-0-0 record.
“I can’t find the tears. I think I’ve cried them all this week,” defender Vanessa Gilles said after the heartbreaking loss. She had scored the winning goals in the previous two games.
The decisive goal was scored by German goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger.
Berger was beaten by two Canadian players, Quinn and Janine Beckie, but she stopped shots from Adriana Leon and Ashley Lawrence.
Germany’s Lea Schuller, who had three goals in the group stage, missed a golden opportunity early in the match. She caught Kadeisha Buchanan and goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan off guard but sent the ball over the net.
PHOTO LUISA GONZALEZ, REUTERS
There was great disappointment in the Canadian camp after the defeat.
The Germans continued to put pressure on the Canadians and had another chance to open the scoring moments later, but Sheridan made a reflex save with her left leg.
Early in the game, Canada seemed short on inspiration and struggled to penetrate the German defense. On the other side, the German forwards multiplied short passes and were more creative with the ball.
The Germans had 57% of the ball possession in the first half and picked up where they left off after the break.
Caretaker coach Andy Spence brought on Evelyne Viens, Leon and Cloe Lacasse about 12 minutes into the second half.
These changes gave momentum to the Canadian team and forced the Germans to retreat into themselves.
PHOTO LUISA GONZALEZ, REUTERS
German goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger scored the decisive goal in the penalty shootout
Canadian captain Jessie Fleming did not return for the second half after a collision with Marina Hegering in added time. She was replaced by Janine Beckie.
Early in overtime, Lawrence put Berger to the test. She forced the goalkeeper into a diving save to prevent a goal.
At 23e minute of extra time, a header from Germany’s Sydney Lohmann hit the crossbar. Moments later, a shot from Canada’s Julia Grosso, redirected by Leon, went narrowly wide of the opponent’s net.