LIVE BLOG: Summary of each day of the CanWNT drone scandal, so far | Updated July 26, 2024
Day 6 - Canada Soccer File Appeal:
Canada Soccer and the COC are indeed appealing the decision to the Court of Arbitration’s Olympic court.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">BREAKING <br><br>Canada Soccer and the Canadian Olympic Committee have filed their appeal to CAS to get some of the point deduction from Canadian women’s soccer team removed or reduced. Aren’t appealing coaches suspensions. <br><br>Decision expected around midday July 31. <a href="https://t.co/y8LeG0LAQs">pic.twitter.com/y8LeG0LAQs</a></p>— Devin Heroux (@Devin_Heroux) <a href="https://twitter.com/Devin_Heroux/status/1817927625500770495?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 29, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
"The appeal is based on the disproportionality of the sanction, which we believe unfairly punishes the athletes for actions they had no part in and goes far beyond restoring fairness to the match against New Zealand," said the COC in a statement.
Canada Soccer and the COC are looking to reduce or remove the point penalty. They are not appealing the suspensions issued to Canadian coaching staff.
Day 5 - The France Game:
If that wasn’t quite enough, Canada’s second match of the group stage took place against hosts France at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard in Saint-Étienne. It was a relatively conservative starting eleven from stand-in manager Andy Spence, seemingly intent on grinding the French to a standstill and eeking out a goal on the counter. Jordyn Huitema and Nichelle Prince were the quasi front-two, with the likes of Evelyne Viens, Cloe Lacasse, Adriana Leon and Janine Beckie on the bench.
The Canadian defense held the line near to the end of the first half, but PSG star Marie-Antoinette Katoto beat Kailen Sheridan in the 42nd minute, sending Kaeisha Buchanan spiraling backwards.
On came Leon at the beginning of the second half, followed soon by Viens and Beckie to pull the game open. Jessie Fleming knocked the ball into an open net off a spilled cross from France's Pauline Peyraud-Magnin in the 58th minute. It was centre-back Vanessa Gilles, who plays her club football in France, who found the ball at her feet in the twelfth minute of added time. As if a natural striker, she pinged the ball past substitute Constance Picaud to nab those essential three points for Canada.
“What’s given us energy is each other, is our determination,” said Gilles after the game. “Our pride is to prove people wrong.”
“We’re a damn good team, we’re a damn good group and we proved that today.”
A win over Colombia puts Canada into the knockout stage, even if Canada's likely appeal is unsuccessful.
Day 4 - Canada Deducted 6 Points:
On July 27, FIFA issued Canada a £175,720 fine, which amounts to $313,145.29 CAD. In addition, the CanWNT will be deducted six points from their final group stage result. This decision effectively requires Canada to win all three of their group stage matches to advance to the knockout stage.
The CSA can appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which Blue and Shoemaker implied is a possibility:
"We are exploring options to appeal on the basis that it is excessively punitive towards our Women’s National Team players – who were not involved in any unethical behaviour," Blue said. "Canada Soccer took swift action to suspend the implicated staff members and is also proceeding with a broad independent review that may lead to further disciplinary action."
"We feel terrible for the athletes on the Canadian Women's Olympic Soccer Team who as far as we understand played no role in this matter,” Shoemaker said.
Day 3 - Priestman is Officially Removed, Herdman weighs in
On Friday, Canada Soccer CEO Kevin Blue issued a joint statement with the COC that confirmed Priestman would be suspended for the remainder of the Olympic Games. Seemingly contradicting his previous statement, David Shoemaker said that Preistman was, ‘Highly likely to have been aware of the incidents here.’ Spence will serve as head coach for the rest of the tournament.
In a press conference, Blue maintained that the players themselves were not aware of the use of drones:
“We ask FIFA to take that into consideration if contemplating any further sanctions,” he said. “Specifically, we do not feel that a deduction of points in this tournament would be fair to our players, particularly in light of the significant and immediate steps we’ve taken to address the situation.”
Blue could not yet confirm that Canadian players had never viewed an opposing team’s drone-obtained training footage, but maintained that this had not occurred at the present Olympics.
Later that day, former CanMNT and CanWNT manager John Herdman offered his perspective.
Former #CanMNT & #CanWNT manager John Herdman addresses drone scandal 🎙️
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) July 26, 2024
"I'm highly confident that in my time as a head coach at an Olympic Games or World Cup, we've never been involved in any of those activities."#TFClive | #MLS pic.twitter.com/pL9y31Nfsj
Here's a summary of the events of each day of the Paris 2024 drone incident.
Day 2 - The New Zealand Game
In place of Priestman, a disjointed Canadian team took to the pitch under former Everton women’s manager Andy Spence. The defending gold medalists conceded an early goal against 28th ranked New Zealand.
All match long, the Canadains struggled to generate genuine chances. For all their attempts at deft buildup play, it took a clever flick from Nichelle Prince to spring Cloe Lacasse in the penalty area. The Arsenal winger tucked her opportunity home in the first half’s added time. It was Roma striker Evelyne Viens who sealed the deal in the 79th minute off a long curling through ball from Jessie Fleming.
"From my point of view, it was really just drilling down on [making] sure we turn up today and put our best foot forward," said Spence after the game.
Rick Westhead Weighs In
Enter TSN’s Rick Westhead – the first one to really interrogate Canada’s pattern of drone usage. At least one incident had previously been reported on in Honduran media, when a drone was supposedly spotted over their training facility before they played Canada in a World Cup Qualifier in Toronto.
Based on his discussions with first-hand sources, Westhead alleged that Canada Soccer did indeed use drones under the CanMNT’s previous manager, John Herdman. The first confirmed incident occurred against the United States in the inaugural edition of CONCACAF Nations League. On the women’s side, Westhead alleged that a Canadian staff member recorded closed Japanese training sessions on two occasions before the two teams faced off in Tokyo.
"I believe, from the sources I've talked to, that we're talking about a mix of coaches and of contractors,” said Westhead in an interview. “We know Canada Soccer is investigating this and we'll see kind of how far up the chain of command it goes.”
In doing so, Westhead describes something of a culture of fear that inspired lower-level coaching staff to go through with spying in order to move up the ladder.
"The sources I talked to spoke about a lot of fear; fear of reprisals from Canada Soccer. One of the sources told me, the way this was put to these contractors and lower-level coaches was, 'You need to buy in, you need to be part of the team, you need to give 110%, and if you want a place on this team, this is what it takes. This is what we will do to gain a competitive advantage.’”
Day 1 - The Drone:
Canadian women's national team manager Bev Priestman withdrew from Thursday's Olympic opener against New Zealand after spying allegations came to light. Assistant coach Jasmine Mander and analyst Joseph Lombardi were both sent home.
On July 22, the police detail tasked with surveillance at Stade Auguste Dury in Saint-Etienne detained a “non-accredited member” on Canada’s staff for allegedly flying a drone overhead to record New Zealand’s closed-door practice. The Canadian Olympic Committee announced on Wednesday that they had learned of a similar incident that had taken place on July 19.
“On behalf of our entire team, I first and foremost want to apologize to the players and staff at New Zealand Football and to the players on Team Canada. This does not represent the values that our team stands for,” Priestman said.. “I am ultimately responsible for conduct in our program. Accordingly, to emphasize our team’s commitment to integrity, I have decided to voluntarily withdraw from coaching the match on Thursday. In the spirit of accountability, I do this with the interests of both teams in mind and to ensure everyone feels that the sportsmanship of this game is upheld.”
In turn, the New Zealand Olympic Committee filed a complaint with the IOC Integrity unit, requesting a full review from Canada:
“The NZOC and New Zealand Football are committed to upholding the integrity and fairness of the Olympic Games and are deeply shocked and disappointed by this incident, which occurred just three days before the sides are due to face each other in their opening game of Paris 2024,” the statement reads. “At this time, the NZOC’s main priority is to support the New Zealand women’s football athletes and wider team as they start their campaign.”
In a virtual press conference, COC CEO David Shoemaker claimed that Priestman had no knowledge of the incidents,
"At the end of the day, the drone footage related to the filming of two New Zealand practices remained in the hands of the pilot of the drone, and the advantage that I guess was intended to be obtained was not obtained,” Shoemaker said. “As well, I was persuaded by the fact that Bev Priestman had no involvement - no knowledge in the incident.”
The FIFA Disciplinary Committee opened proceedings against Canada Soccer. Said Priestman:
"Obviously, I've just literally stepped off the training pitch, I volunteered for me to step back before today, but I'm still learning, I'm straight off the pitch and whatever it is, again, I can only go on record and apologize on behalf of this team for this country."
We will continue to update this article as new developments occur.
