Winnipegger Desiree Scott helps bring ‘calm to the chaos’ as women’s soccer team pushes on in Paris

August 2, 2024 Canuck

Scandal has hovered over Canada’s women’s soccer team at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, but that hasn’t stopped them from advancing to the quarterfinals at the event — and they’re not done yet, says a Winnipegger who is in Paris with the team.

The team will take on Germany in Saturday’s knockout match after defeating New Zealand, France and Colombia in group play, along with overcoming a six-point penalty from FIFA in the wake of the Canada Soccer scandal involving drone spying.

“I feel like we’re built for this game, we’re built for this pressure, and just leaning into that and who we are as a team and a squad,” Winnipegger Desiree Scott, who is an alternate on this year’s team, said in a Friday interview from France with CBC Manitoba’s Information Radio.

“And then [we’re] just rallying for each other. It’s been a journey, and I think we don’t want it to end here.”

The women’s team was embroiled in controversy before the Olympic tournament started.

An analyst was caught using a drone to spy on practices by New Zealand’s team — Canada’s first opponent at the Games.

In the wake of the incident, two staffers were sent home. Canada Soccer also suspended the team’s head coach, Bev Priestman, for the rest of the Games.

But the sanctions didn’t end there.

FIFA suspended Priestman and the two assistants for a year and docked the team six points in the Group A standings at the Games. That meant while Canada beat New Zealand in the opener, the three points earned were wiped out because of the penalty.

The Canadians faced a tough road to advance out of the group stage, but knocked off host France after scoring late in injury time, then beat Colombia 1-0 earlier this week, punching their ticket to the quarterfinal.

Ready for ‘do-or-die match’

While Canada sits second on the Group A table with three points because of the deduction, the team is the only one in the group that went undefeated in the tournament’s opening stage.

“To get through the group stage despite all odds … it’s incredible,” said Scott. “And now we’ve got a do-or-die match against Germany, but one we’re ready for.”

Scott is also a three-time medallist with the team, including helping Canada win its first women’s soccer gold in 2021.

She said regardless of the drone-spying scandal, that legacy still stands.

“People are going to say what they’re going to say, but we know within this group who we are, what we stand for and what those medals meant to us.”

Meanwhile, Scott, who was initially left off the Olympic roster before injuries led to her being called in for an alternate role, said she’s found herself serving as someone to help “bring that calm to the chaos.”

Canada’s run to defend Olympic gold continues Saturday, when the team plays Germany starting at 12 p.m. CT. Only the winner will advance, making the match a must-win for Canada to continue.

“I think the important thing is keeping our bubble tight, remembering why we’re here and why we came here is to defend our gold medal,” said Scott. “That’s the most important thing.”

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