CanWNT rallies to beat New Zealand after spying scandal at Olympics

Canada's women's soccer team opened its Olympic gold medal defense with a 2-1 comeback win over 28th-ranked New Zealand on Thursday, fighting through the embarrassment of a spying scandal that compelled its head coach to withdraw from the game in Saint-Etienne.

Canada trailed after 13 minutes but equalized late in the first half following some slick one-touch passing. Substitute Evelyne Viens deposited the winner in the 79th minute after jumping on a long ball from Jessie Fleming and firing past onrushing goalkeeper Anna Leat and into the far corner.

Coach Bev Priestman voluntarily withdrew from the game after a member of her team was caught flying a drone over two of New Zealand's practice sessions in the lead-up to the match. Canada Soccer later suspended the 38-year-old after learning about previous drone use. Both Canada Soccer and FIFA are investigating.

The team member who operated the drone was handed an eight-month suspended prison sentence by local authorities and sent home by the Canadian Olympic Committee.

Assistant coach Andy Spence oversaw Thursday's win and will remain in charge for the remainder of the Olympics. Canada's next game is Sunday against host nation France.

Canada earned its first gold medal in women's soccer at the pandemic-delayed Olympics in Tokyo in 2021, beating Sweden in a shootout. Thirteen members on the current roster were part of that championship team, and a number of them, including veterans Fleming, Kadeisha Buchanan, and Ashley Lawrence, arrived in France for their third consecutive Olympics.

Fleming was influential throughout the contest, even if her teammates weren't always on the same wavelength. But she connected with Lawrence to set up Canada's equalizer in the fourth minute of first-half stoppage time. Cloe Lacasse finished off the sweeping move with a shot into the upper netting.

Canada controlled more than 60% possession, and just when it seemed like the team had exhausted all of its ideas, Fleming found Viens running in behind New Zealand's defense for the decisive goal.

"I think we feel really thankful that we had the opportunity to come out here and play today and show what it means for us to represent Canada as players," Fleming said, according to the CBC's Devin Heroux. "It's been a lot for the group."