PARIS, Aug 2, 2024 (AFP) - Defending champions Canada take on Germany on
Saturday in a bid to reach the semi-finals of the Olympic women's football
tournament after they made the knockouts despite a points deduction over a
spying scandal.

Four-time gold medallists the United States and World Cup holders Spain are
also in action in the last eight.

Canada's hopes of repeating their run to gold in Tokyo three years ago
appeared to be over when they were docked six points by FIFA as a punishment
after using a drone to spy on a New Zealand training session.

Coach Bev Priestman was suspended for a year.

But the Canadians beat Colombia 1-0 in Nice on Wednesday to make it three
wins out of three, hours after an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for
Sport against their points deduction was dismissed.

After a remarkable sequence of events, the eighth-ranked nation are through
to the quarter-finals, and now face 2016 gold medallists Germany in Marseille
on Saturday.

"We always knew that we could do it. The chances were stacked against us but
we pulled through," defender Vanessa Gilles, the match-winner against France
and Colombia, told Canada's CBC.

"We still believe the sanction was unfair, unjust and unprecedented."

Germany lost 4-1 to the USA in the group stage but went through with wins
against Australia and Zambia, and Horst Hrubesch's team may be a step up on
anything Canada have faced yet.

- USA face Japan -

The United States, targeting a record-extending fifth women's football gold,
meet Japan in Paris in a repeat of the London 2012 final, which they won 2-1.

Under new coach Emma Hayes the USA won all three group games, with their
attacking trio of Trinity Rodman, Mallory Swanson and Sophia Smith all
impressing.

"Honestly we are kind of like sisters. This group we have right now is
special and we are having a lot of fun," said Swanson.

The teams also met in the World Cup finals of 2011 and 2015, with one victory
apiece, and Japan will be confident they can compete with the traditional
powerhouse of the women's game.

Spain will take some stopping after the world champions eased through to the
last eight with a 100 percent record in the group stage.

A side led by Ballon d'Or winner Aitana Bonmati will be strong favourites in
Lyon against Colombia, who progressed as a best third-placed team.

However, Alexia Putellas warned her teammates not to take the South Americans
lightly.

"It's going to be difficult to win every game," Putellas told FIFA.com,
explaining that teams are setting up defensively against Spain.

"We've struggled to find our rhythm at times. Brazil, for example, really
managed to stifle our attacks."

- Marta ban -

Brazil were handicapped against Spain -- a 2-0 defeat for the South Americans
-- by the sending-off of captain Marta, one of the greats of the women's
game.

Now suspended, the 38-year-old's chances of featuring again at her sixth
Olympics hinge on Brazil beating France in Nantes.

Herve Renard's French team were not always convincing in the group stage but
boast a lethal striker in Marie-Antoinette Katoto, the tournament's leading
scorer with five goals.

"Marie carries the team because she is so clinical," said Renard after
Wednesday's 2-1 win against New Zealand. "She doesn't need many chances to
score."

France or Brazil will meet Spain or Colombia in the semi-finals, with the USA
or Japan facing Canada or Germany.