Olympic Finals Preview
Three OL Reign players will be playing in the bronze and gold medal match in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Quinn and Canada will be playing for the gold medal against Sweden on Thursday night and Rose Lavelle and Megan Rapinoe will be playing for the bronze medal against Australia with the United States on Thursday morning.
A full schedule with all the important match details and streaming options from NBC can be found here.
Olympic Bronze Medal and Gold Medal Schedule
1:00 a.m. PT – Bronze Medal Match – Australia vs. USA (Lavelle, Rapinoe), USA Network
7:00 p.m. PT – Gold Medal Match – Sweden vs. Canada (Quinn), USA Network
Gold Medal Match Preview: Sweden vs. Canada
Both Sweden and Canada advanced to the gold medal match with 1-0 wins in the semifinals. Sweden defeated Australia on a 46th minute goal from Fridolina Rolfö, in a match where Australia had 58% of possession and 14 shots, compared to Sweden’s 10 shots. Canada beat the United States on a 75th minute penalty kick converted by Jessie Fleming. The Canadian side had 44% of possession and took only five shots compared to the United States’ 17, but still came away with the all-important victory.
Sweden is unbeaten in the 2020 Olympics so far, producing five wins in five games – the best record of any team in the tournament. Previously, Sweden has won one medal at the Olympics in 2016. The team took home silver after falling 2-1 to Germany in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The Swedes made it to the bronze medal match in 2004 but took fourth place after a 1-0 loss to Germany in Piraeus, Greece.
Canada is also unbeaten in the 2020 Olympics, but with a 3-0-2 record, picking up draws against Japan and Great Britain. Canada has won back-to-back bronze medal in the Olympics, beating France 1-0 in the bronze medal match in Coventry, England 2012 and Brazil 2-1 in São Paulo, Brazil in 2016.
Both squads will be after their first-ever Olympic gold medal on Thursday. The two sides have not met since the Round of 16 in the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2019. Stina Blackstenius scored the only goal of the match to secure a 1-0 win for Sweden.
Quinn is the only OL Reign player competing in this match. They have been a regular fixture for Canada, playing in every match of the tournament. They have also made history as the first openly transgender athlete to win an Olympic Medal.
Bronze Medal Match Preview: Australia vs. USA
Australia and the United States both lost their semifinal matches 1-0 and will face off to compete for the bronze medal in the 2020 Olympic Games. Notably, Ellie Carpenter was issued a red card in the 96th minute of Australia’s semifinal match, so she will be unavailable to compete against the United States.
The two teams were both in Group G, so they met in the group stage of the tournament. Australia dominated possession of the match, with 65%. They also took ten shots compared to the United States’ eight shots. The U.S. was content to sit back and absorb pressure and launch counterattacks when possible. Neither team found a breakthrough goal, so they each took a point from the 0-0 draw. Overall, the United States and Australia both have a 2-2-1 record throughout the 2020 Olympics. The United States lost to Sweden and Canada, while Australia lost to Sweden twice.
Australia has never been this far in the Olympics, so competing for the bronze medal is an accomplishment within itself. On the other hand, the United States has won four Olympic gold medals and one silver medal since 1996, most recently winning gold in 2012.
OL Reign players Rose Lavelle and Megan Rapinoe will be competing in this match. Rapinoe will be looking to win her second Olympic medal and Lavelle her first.