The U.S. women's soccer team got what it wanted in the Paris Olympics draw.
The USWNT will face Germany, France, Morocco or Zambia in the group stage in Nice and Marseille. Heat could be a factor in the summer, as it was at the 2019 World Cup in France, but after Wednesday's draw, interim manager Twila Kilgore said the team was ready for it. .
The USWNT opens the Olympic tournament on July 25 in Nice against either Morocco or Zambia. The remaining two group stage matches, against Germany on July 28th and against Australia on July 31st, will be played in Marseille.
“Honestly, our path in terms of location is what we wanted. In terms of location and match venue, this is really good for us for a variety of reasons. It's the right kind of journey,” Kilgore said. “Whatever we can control, we'll control. We have a very robust high-performance medical department and we'll certainly have things in place to help us deal with those eventualities.”
The USWNT already knew that familiar enemy Germany would be in the group due to rules that prohibit teams from the same federation from being in the same group. Host France and reigning World Cup champion Spain are the other two European teams ranked higher than Germany.
Given recent history, Australia was not surprising either. The USWNT seems to always play Sweden in major international tournaments, but they've also been playing Australia quite a bit recently. At the Tokyo Olympics, they played in the same group as the Matildas, and after a scoreless draw in the final group match, they defeated Australia in the bronze medal match.
Morocco and Zambia will both be first-time opponents for the USWNT.
If the USWNT wins their group, their quarterfinal match will be played at the Parc des Princes in Paris, the same stadium where they defeated France in the quarterfinals of the 2019 World Cup. If they finish second, they will play for Marseille.
“The bottom line is we're excited that the path is set and we need to know who we're going to play so we can start working on a specific game plan,” Kilgore said. . “There is a lot to do at the Olympics, with a short period and a crowded schedule of games. I hope our administration can start planning for it and take bigger steps in the direction we need to go.” It’s really important and exciting.”
France, Colombia, defending Olympic champions Canada and New Zealand will be in Group A, while Spain, Japan, Nigeria or South Africa will be in Group C.
“I think every group is going to be tough and it would be a mistake to underestimate anyone,” Kilgore said. “And of course we respect our opponents in the group, but we are ready to play against anyone.”
The Olympics will be the first tournament under new coach Emma Hayes, who will take over the USWNT after Chelsea's season ends in May, and Kilgore said on Thursday she would be heading to England to spend time with Hayes. Hayes has already announced that Kilgore will be a member of his staff, and the two have been in frequent contact regarding roster choices and the direction of the team.
Paris will also be the USWNT's first major international tournament since last summer's World Cup fiasco, when they lost on penalties to Sweden in the Round of 16. It was the fastest ever elimination from a World Cup or Olympics.
The Americans had another low moment after losing to Mexico in the Concacaf Gold Cup earlier this month, handing La Tri its first loss on U.S. soil. However, they bounced back and won the championship, defeating Canada in the semifinals and Brazil in the final.
“It was very important to get the reaction after the Mexico game that we were successful and left with a trophy, and that will be very important heading into the summer,” Kilgore said.
US Men's Open vs Host Country France
Meanwhile, the U.S. men are off to a spectacular start to their first Olympic appearance since 2008. They were drawn in Group A with France and will face the hosts in the first match of the Olympic tournament in Marseille on July 24.
“It might be a slightly different experience when we play against the host team,” Olympic coach Marko Mitrovic said. “I think it's going to be a packed stadium with around 70,000 people, but that's the reality. We just look at them as an opponent, just like any other team in the group.”
The U.S. men's team, an under-23 team with three overage players, will play New Zealand on July 27, also in Marseille. Group play will take place in Saint-Etienne on July 30th, against the winner of a play-off between Guinea and an Asian team. The U.S. men won't know their opponent until mid-May.
There have been many twists and turns, with the Under-23s now playing friendlies against France and Guinea over the next five days. The U.S. national team will face Guinea in Olot, Spain, on Friday and France in Montbéliard, France, on Monday.
Coach Mitrovic joked, “If we win these two games, we will consult with the Olympic Committee to see if we can transfer those points to the Olympics.''
