'Lit a fire in our bellies:' New Zealanders motivated after Canada drone scandal

SAINT-ETIENNE, France — The motivation to upset the reigning Olympic women's soccer champions was already high for New Zealand forward Indiah-Page Riley and her teammates.

A Canada Soccer drone scandal on the eve of the tournament opener has only heightened that desire.

"I think this kind of lit a fire in our bellies," Riley said.

The lead-up to Thursday's game between eighth-ranked Canada and 28th-ranked New Zealand at the Paris Olympics has been dominated by off-field developments.

New Zealand's Olympic Committee complained to the International Olympic Committee’s integrity unit after it said drones were flown over a pair of pre-tournament practice sessions.

On Wednesday, the Canadian Olympic Committee said Canadian assistant coach Jasmine Mander and analyst Joseph Lombardi were "sent home immediately" and that it had accepted the decision of head coach Bev Priestman to remove herself from coaching the opening match.

FIFA, the sport's governing body, said its disciplinary committee has opened proceedings against all three individuals and Canada Soccer. The domestic federation is also undergoing an external review, and the COC said it may take further action if necessary.

"Whether it's enough or not, I think that the integrity of the result and the game is undermined by this," said New Zealand interim head coach Michael Mayne. "In my opinion, if you're replacing the coach, that's one thing. But does that change the game plan going in?"

"They ultimately have had a chance to look at our footage."

Priestman said she was "highly disappointed" to learn about the use of drones and added that "by no means did I direct the individuals."

She volunteered to stay off the sideline for the match because she's "ultimately accountable for this team."

In the COC statement, Priestman apologized on behalf of the Canadian program to the players and staff at New Zealand Football and to the players on her squad. She repeated the apology when she spoke to the media after a team training session Wednesday.

"This does not represent the values that our team stands for," she said.

Assistant coach Andy Spence will be in charge on the Canadian sidelines in the Group A opener at Geoffrey-Guichard Stadium. Priestman will stay back at the hotel, a team spokesperson confirmed Thursday.

"Will there be a little extra spice in this (match)? Maybe," said Mayne. "But again, we're playing a game of football here. It's the preparation you do for certain moments. Will it change much of what we're going to do? Probably not. The reality is, again, since learning this, we don't have any time.

"We found out 48 hours before the game that we're in this position. We're still looking forward to the challenge, however it looks."

Riley said her teammates spotted a drone "that was pretty high up" at a training session on Monday. One player first thought it was a bird, she said, but the sound of the device made it clear.

"We'd heard you weren't allowed to use drones, and it's a no-fly zone," she said. "So it was a bit of a shock."

Mayne noted that drone footage from a training session can give viewers the "ultimate tactical view."

"You're above everybody, so you can literally see all the patterns and things we're working on," he said. "If we're working on specifics for this game, if you have access to that, then it's pretty telling."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 25, 2024.

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