Thursday Preview: Defending Champions Canada Aim for Third Consecutive Medal as New Zealand Struggles with Four Straight Losses

At 11 PM on July 25, the first round of Group A in the women’s football tournament at the 2024 Paris Olympics will take place in Saint-Etienne, France, with the Canadian women’s team facing off against the New Zealand women’s team.

The Canadian women’s team is currently ranked eighth in the world and is a strong contender in women’s football at the Olympics. They won bronze medals at the 2012 London Olympics and the 2016 Rio Olympics, followed by a gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. However, they are also seeking redemption after being eliminated in the group stage of the 2023 Women’s World Cup, which was far below expectations, leaving the players eager to prove themselves.

The New Zealand women’s team is currently ranked 28th in the world. As representatives of Oceania, they have had several opportunities to compete in major tournaments, but their record has been less than impressive. In 18 matches at the Women’s World Cup, they have one win, four draws, and 13 losses. Over the past four Olympic Games, they have participated in each edition, but only managed to advance from the group stage once—at the 2012 London Olympics (where they progressed with one win and two losses). In the other three editions, they failed to advance, with a total record of two wins, one draw, and ten losses, scoring eight goals and conceding 27, indicating limited strength.

In terms of form, the Canadian women’s team has remained undefeated in their last 14 matches across all competitions, with nine wins and five draws. They also went unbeaten in their four pre-tournament friendlies, winning three and drawing one. This included one win and one draw against Mexico, a 2-1 victory over Australia, and a 1-0 win over Nigeria. The New Zealand women’s team, on the other hand, has not fared well since starting training in late May, losing two and drawing one of their last three matches. This includes a 0-2 loss and a 1-4 defeat against Japan, followed by a 1-1 draw against Zambia before the tournament.

In head-to-head encounters, Canada has dominated, remaining undefeated in the last 11 meetings between the two teams, with nine wins and two draws. Since the 2019 Women’s World Cup, the teams have met four times, with Canada winning all four matches, scoring 11 goals and conceding just one, showcasing a significant advantage.

The media highlights key players to watch. For Canada, it is Adriana Leon, number 11, who plays for Aston Villa in the English Women’s Super League and has scored 40 goals in 114 appearances for her country, making her the team’s top scorer. For New Zealand, it is defender Katie Bowen, who plays for Inter Milan’s women’s team. This “goal-scoring center back” has made 109 appearances for New Zealand and is the most capped player in the squad, having also scored four goals.

>>For more predictions and analysis of this match, click >>>