Rio Recap, Day 1: Matheson '08, Canada Win Soccer Opener
August 03, 2016 | General, Women's Soccer
The opening ceremonies for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Brazil aren't until Friday, but action got underway Wednesday with preliminary-round soccer games, including one for Princeton alum Diana Matheson '08 and Canada in a 2-0 win over Australia in São Paulo.
Matheson started and played the first 69 minutes as the Canadians, who were ranked 10th in the most recent FIFA world rankings in June, used a first-minute goal from Texas Tech alum Janine Beckie off a cross by Portland alum Christine Sinclair to stun fifth-ranked Australia with the earliest score in Olympic women's soccer history. Just last season, Beckie joined Princeton rising senior Tyler Lussi as a semifinalist for the MAC Hermann Award, the top honor in college soccer.
Canada suffered a red card to Shelina Zadorsky, a Washington Spirit teammate of Matheson's, in the 19th minute and had to go forward with 10 players for at least the final 70-plus minutes. That, however, didn't prove to be too much to ask, and Sinclair tacked on a 78th-minute goal for the 2-0 final.
Canada, which is in Group F with Zimbabwe and Germany as well as Wednesday's opponent Australia, will be back in São Paulo Saturday for a 2 p.m. ET match against Zimbabwe before wrapping up the group slate next Tuesday against Germany. The top two teams are assured to advance to the quarterfinal round once group play ends, while the third-place team in the group is eligible to be one of the wild cards for the final two spots in that quarterfinal round.
Zimbabwe will enter the match ranked 93rd in the world, but the team battled through the African federation tournament to gain its first Olympic bid and one of two from the continent along with neighbor South Africa. Germany boasts the FIFA No. 2 ranking, behind only the U.S., the defending Olympic champion.
Here's a primer on all of Princeton's Olympic athletes at the 2016 Games, and Princeton's 2016 Olympics Central page, complete with a daily schedule of events involving Tiger competitors, can be found here. Princeton competitors will be in action again Saturday, when along with Matheson taking the field for Canada's next soccer game, U.S. rowers Gevvie Stone '07, Tyler Nase '13 and Robin Prendes '11 will start their competition, as will U.S. field hockey players Katie Reinprecht '13, Julia Reinprecht '14 and Kathleen Sharkey '13, and U.S. fencer and rising senior Katharine Holmes.
Matheson started and played the first 69 minutes as the Canadians, who were ranked 10th in the most recent FIFA world rankings in June, used a first-minute goal from Texas Tech alum Janine Beckie off a cross by Portland alum Christine Sinclair to stun fifth-ranked Australia with the earliest score in Olympic women's soccer history. Just last season, Beckie joined Princeton rising senior Tyler Lussi as a semifinalist for the MAC Hermann Award, the top honor in college soccer.
Canada suffered a red card to Shelina Zadorsky, a Washington Spirit teammate of Matheson's, in the 19th minute and had to go forward with 10 players for at least the final 70-plus minutes. That, however, didn't prove to be too much to ask, and Sinclair tacked on a 78th-minute goal for the 2-0 final.
Canada, which is in Group F with Zimbabwe and Germany as well as Wednesday's opponent Australia, will be back in São Paulo Saturday for a 2 p.m. ET match against Zimbabwe before wrapping up the group slate next Tuesday against Germany. The top two teams are assured to advance to the quarterfinal round once group play ends, while the third-place team in the group is eligible to be one of the wild cards for the final two spots in that quarterfinal round.
Zimbabwe will enter the match ranked 93rd in the world, but the team battled through the African federation tournament to gain its first Olympic bid and one of two from the continent along with neighbor South Africa. Germany boasts the FIFA No. 2 ranking, behind only the U.S., the defending Olympic champion.
Here's a primer on all of Princeton's Olympic athletes at the 2016 Games, and Princeton's 2016 Olympics Central page, complete with a daily schedule of events involving Tiger competitors, can be found here. Princeton competitors will be in action again Saturday, when along with Matheson taking the field for Canada's next soccer game, U.S. rowers Gevvie Stone '07, Tyler Nase '13 and Robin Prendes '11 will start their competition, as will U.S. field hockey players Katie Reinprecht '13, Julia Reinprecht '14 and Kathleen Sharkey '13, and U.S. fencer and rising senior Katharine Holmes.
Players Mentioned
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