It all comes down to this. In a typical year, Canada’s performances thus far in the women’s soccer round-robin would be enough to have punched their tickets into the knockout stage, but as the team takes on the punishment for the coaching staff’s drone controversy, they enter their last group leg without points – but incredibly, still a chance. Their opponents in Colombia are no slouches, though, and Canada must get all three points. Let’s break down the game at hand.
3:00 p.m. ET Headliner: Colombia vs. Canada
| Canada Win | -102 | Colombia Win | +245 | Draw | +255 |
| Over 2.5 Goals | -139 | Under 2.5 Goals | +100 | Broadcast | CBC |
Shortly before Canada’s second group-stage game against France, the team was hit with a stunning punishment for the ever-evolving drone scandal, which saw an analyst and assistant coach get busted for using drone cameras to spy on New Zealand’s practices – and apparently, this wasn’t Canada’s first time doing something similar.
The suspension of the analyst, the assistant, and head coach Bev Preistman wasn’t a big surprise and was felt to be fair. But given the current information that indicates that the players themselves weren’t involved in the recordings or even shown them, a six-point penalty felt particularly heavy. Given that the group stage is just three games, the punishment means that Canada has to go undefeated – without a full coaching staff and with tons of distraction around them – to survive and potentially head to the knockout stage.
The players stepped up in a big way on Sunday. Despite being underdogs against France, and initially falling behind in the first half, Jessie Fleming equalized in the 58th minute and a whopping twelve minutes into extra time, a play initiated by Jenine Beckie ended with Vanessa Gilles scoring a heroic go-ahead goal, keeping Canada at zero points and just as importantly, taking one to three points away from France – leaving room for an overtake here now that the punishment is out of the way.
Canada gets to keep its goal differential, which is critical for a tiebreaker, as Colombia sits at +1. Should Canada win this game, they will be at least two goals ahead of their opponents, which will get them across the finish line. It’s also possible that Canada’s appeal, which is due to be ruled on at some time Wednesday, gives them some help too. For example, if they get at least one of their points back, they’ll likely be through with a tie. Though, given the timing, it’s impossible to rely on that.
Colombia enters the game hot off a 2-0 win over New Zealand. In that previous match, Colombia outshot its opponents 7-1 and controlled the ball for about two-thirds of the play—similar to Canada’s results against the Kiwis. The win offsets Colombia’s loss in their opener against France.
Game Bets To Consider
- Andriana Leon to score, +187 at bet365: Betano doesn’t have a player market up just yet, though their odds are generally the most competitive on the team front. Nonetheless, it’s hard to pass up an opportunity for Canada’s star striker to break through. Leon hasn’t found the back of the net yet, but has a pair of shots on target and it’s only a matter of time before one of her looks converts.
- Total Goals Over 2.5, -222: Both teams will be aggressive, with Canada needing the win and Colombia effectively needing a point, as a France loss or draw to New Zealand is unlikely and a loss to Canada would put them in a bad place in terms of goal differential. Sure, Colombia could try for a 0-0 draw or 1-0 win, but if Canada scores once, expect this game to open up in a big way.
Bet on Canada vs. Colombia
COL -102
CAN +245
Other Olympic Soccer Games On July 31
There are five other games being played on July 31st.
You can piece together a pretty great day of Women’s soccer action on Wednesday, catching tournament favourites Spain at 11:00 a.m. (ET), second-favourites and perennial powerhouses United States at 1:00 p.m., and your Canadians at 3:00 p.m.
| Away Team |  | Draw | | Home Team | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brazil | +380 | +220 | -120 | Spain | 11:00 AM |
| Japan | -189 | +290 | +490 | Nigeria | 11:00 AM |
| Australia | +540 | +355 | -238 | United States | 1:00 PM |
| Zambia | +1500 | +690 | -909 | Germany | 1:00 PM |
| Colombia | +245 | +255 | -102 | Canada | 3:00 PM |
| New Zealand | +1600 | +550 | -714 | France | 3:00 PM |
Latest 2024 Olympic Women’s Soccer Odds
Here are the latest Paris 2024 women’s soccer outright odds, heading into the matches on July 31st:
| Team | | Last Match | Team | | Last Match |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | +165 | +175 | Australia | +1900 | +2400 |
| USA | +190 | +215 | Brazil | +2400 | +1700 |
| France | +550 | +450 | Canada | +2400 | +2100 |
| Colombia | +1400 | +2900 | Nigeria | +9900 | +9900 |
| Japan | +1400 | +1900 | New Zealand | +24900 | +14900 |
| Germany | +1600 | +1000 | Zambia | +49900 | +9900 |
Canada’s position right now is truly unique – much higher than a team with zero points should be, but also much lower than one with two wins. It’s relying almost entirely on what the team would be perceived as if they can get tomorrow’s win. Should they do so, don’t be shocked if they skyrocket up the ranks.
