Two key players for their respective nations, Jayde Riviere (Canada) and Hinata Miyazawa (Japan) received call-ups to represent their countries in the Paris Olympics.
Part of the squad that won gold at the Tokyo Olympics, 23-year-old Riviere has made over 40 appearances for Canada since her maiden call-up in November 2017.
She has also featured in two Women’s World Cups, as well as being part of the Manchester United squad that won the FA Cup for the first time in May, showing her experience on some of the biggest stages.
Her Olympic campaign, however, hasn’t got off to the ideal start after the team announced that she sustained an ankle injury during a pre-Olympic fixture on July 17th.
This in turn led to her absence in Canada’s two opening fixtures against New Zealand and France, both of which the Canadians won 2-1.
Her absence continued into the final group stage game, where a 1-0 win against Colombia set up a quarter-final against Germany.
Injury, however, isn’t the biggest problem the Canadian football is currently facing, with a 6-point deduction and multiple staff suspensions, including former manager Beverly Priestman, after it was revealed that they were using drones to look into opposition training.
A situation far from ideal, this puts a dent in the hopes of Canada defending their Olympic title, but nevertheless, they still look like a dominant side in the competition.
Much like Riviere, Miyazawa has been another influential player for her country, taking home the Golden Boot from the 2023 Women’s World Cup with 5 goals for Japan.
Upon return from an ankle fracture obtained in December, this will be her first Olympics, and so far she has made an appearance in all three of Japan’s fixtures.
This included two starts, in a 2-1 loss to Spain followed by a 2-1 victory against Brazil, as well as a substitute appearance in the 3-1 triumph over Nigeria.
Despite her heavy involvement, she is yet to score on the Olympic stage as her side goes into a tough quarter-final battle with the USA.
Under ex-Chelsea manager Emma Hayes, the USA scored maximum points from their group stage fixtures and will prove a tough opponent for Japan on Saturday as the tournament begins its knockout stages.
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