Four Portland Thorns advance to quarterfinals of Olympic women's soccer tournament

Four out of six Portland Thorns players competing for their countries at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics are moving on to the knockout stage of the women’s soccer competition.

Sophia Smith and Sam Coffey, playing for Team USA, helped dominate Group B with wins over Germany, Australia and Zambia that included nine goals for the Americans and only two allowed to the others.

Up first was Zambia on July 25 where the U.S. scored three goals in the first 25 minutes, which included an assist for Smith, for a 3-0 win. However, the superstar left the game early in the 44th minute due to an injury. Coffey played all 90 minutes and helped the defense not allow a goal.

Smith put the injury concerns at bay in game two against Germany when she scored in the 10th and 44th minute in the 4-1 win. Germany tied the match at one in the 22nd minute, but a goal from Mallory Swanson in the 26th followed by Smith’s second put the game at bay.

In the final group stage match, the U.S. led the way with a 2-1 win, the lone goal for Australia coming in stoppage time. Smith had one assist once more and Coffey played all 90 for the third consecutive game.

Up next for the Americans is a matchup with Japan at 6 a.m. Aug. 3 in the quarterfinals.

The other pair of Thorns moving on comes from Canada in Jessie Fleming and Janine Beckie, which had a more eventful path to the quarterfinals.

Following the Canadians’ first match against New Zealand, a 2-1 for them, it was discovered a staffer used a drone to fly over a New Zealand practice before matches began.

Team Canada was deducted six points in the competition, fined $300,000 and three staff members, including head coach Bev Priestman, were suspended for a year.

The loss in points meant Canada had to win the next two matches to secure a spot, which it did.

First, in the match against New Zealand, Canada scored a goal in the 79th minute to win 2-1. Fleming played all 90 minutes and contributed an assist while Beckie subbed in for 34 minutes and fired off one shot.

Up next was the home-standing French team where the match was tied at one until the 102nd minute where Vanessa Gilles scored for Canada to win 2-1.

Fleming had the Canadians’ earlier goal that tied the match at one while Beckie subbed in once more, playing 23 minutes and firing one shot.

And in the final match of group play on Wednesday, July 31, Gilles struck once more for Canada to give it a 1-0 win over Columbia and second place in Group A to advance.

Fleming added another assist in her 90 minutes while Beckie started this match and played 85 minutes, firing one shot.

Canada, the defending gold medalists in women’s soccer, will take on Germany in the quarterfinals at 10 a.m. Aug. 3.

A pair of Thorns also saw their Olympic runs come to an end in Nicole Payne and Mackenzie Arnold.

Payne, a recent Thorns signee, represented Nigeria which went 0-0-3 in Group C, scoring one goal and giving up five.

Payne came off the bench for 16 minutes in the 1-0 loss to Brazil, did the same for 18 minutes in the 1-0 loss to Spain and played 45 minutes off the bench in a 3-1 loss to Japan.

Arnold, another recent Thorns signee, started in goal for the Aussies to open the tournament against Germany, but gave up three goals in the 3-0 loss.

It didn’t get any easier against Zambia where Arnold gave up five goals, but a 90th minute goal from Michelle Heyman gave Australia a 6-5 win and a chance at moving to the next round.

However, Arnold’s two goals allowed against the U.S. was enough in the 2-1 loss, eliminating her and Australia from the Olympics.