Olympics

The International Olympic Committee does not plan any "drastic" decisions about the Tokyo 2020 Games, saying on Tuesday it remains fully committed to the event being staged in four months' time despite the global spread of the coronavirus.

Following discussions with international sports federations the IOC said changes would need to be made to the qualifiers due to the impact of the virus, but it still plans to go ahead with the July 24-Aug 9 Olympics.

The Zambia women’s national team has made history by qualifying for the 2020 Olympic Games after upsetting Cameroon in the final of the CAF Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament. 

After defeating Botswana in the quarterfinals and Kenya in the semis, Zambia entered the final a full 57 spots below Cameroon in the FIFA world rankings. What’s more, Cameroon’s program had the experience of qualifying for London 2012 followed by back-to-back Round of 16 appearances at the 2015 and 2019 Women’s World Cups. Zambia, on the other hand, had never qualified for the Olympics or a World Cup.

At the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup, the USWNT traveled to France with a squad of 23 players. For the upcoming SheBelieves Cup, Vlatko Andonovski has again named a 23-player roster. At the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, that squad will be capped at 18; heads will roll.

We got a little taste of Andonovski’s thinking at the CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Championship when the roster was limited to 20, but it was difficult to really assess players as the U.S. reeled off five straight wins by a combined score of 25-0. 

The USWNT has triumphed at the 2020 CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Qualifying Championship following a 3-0 victory over Canada in the final on Sunday. After a scoreless first half, Lynn Williams, Lindsey Horan and Megan Rapinoe all got on the scoresheet to accentuate a perfect campaign for Tokyo 2020.  

Rose Lavelle always seems to have a smile on her face. But don’t let it fool you — she will absolutely destroy your soul if you come between her and a USWNT victory (or her dog, Wilma). 

(Editor’s Note: This story originally ran on Oct. 3, 2018, before the USWNT vs Mexico match in the 2018 Concacaf Women’s Championship. It has been updated to preview the Feb. 7, 2020, USWNT vs Mexico match in Olympic qualifying.)

With top spot in Group A “up for grabs” at the 2020 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Championship, it took four minutes for Christen Press to effectively take it. 

Costa Rica had never beaten the USWNT, lost 6-0 in a friendly back in November and smartly decided to rest seven starters with both eyes on a crucial semifinal matchup against either Canada or Mexico, but any notion of this being an entirely worthless exercise for the viewer at home was put to bed thanks to Press’s stunning early strike.

The China women’s national football team is currently sitting in a hotel in Brisbane, Australia, under quarantine as precautions concerning the coronavirus outbreak continue. As of Monday, there are 12 confirmed cases in Australia.

The national team, consisting of 32 members, will be quarantined until Wednesday, Feb. 5. The team is scheduled to play three Olympic qualifying matches against Thailand, Chinese Taipei and Australia in Sydney this week and next week. 

The Mexico women are inching closer to a trip to Tokyo. La Tri defeated Saint Kitts and Nevis 6-0 in the Concacaf Women’s Olympic Qualifying Championship on Saturday in Edinburg, Texas. The win all but ensures Mexico a trip to the semifinals, where one win would send La Tri to the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

Renae Cuellar, the hero in Wednesday’s 1-0 win over Jamaica, scored two goals to help power Mexico’s victory.