USWNT to face New Zealand, France, Colombia in Olympics 2016

The U.S. women's soccer team pose for the traditional team portrait before an international friendly soccer match with Colombia at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field, Wednesday, April 6, 2016, in East Hartford, Conn. Credit: AP / Jessica Hill
The U.S. women’s soccer team will open its quest for a fourth straight Olympic gold medal against New Zealand, then will play France and Colombia in the first round of the tournament in Brazil.
The Americans were drawn Thursday to play New Zealand on Aug. 3 at Belo Horizonte. The U.S. meets France three days later, also in Belo Horizonte, then plays Colombia on Aug. 9 at Manaus in the Amazon, where the American men tied Portugal 2-2 at the 2014 World Cup.
If the United States wins Group G, it would play its quarterfinal on Aug. 12 in Brasilia against a third-place team from one of the other two groups. The Brasilia winner would advance to a semifinal on Aug. 16 in Rio de Janeiro’s Maracana, where the final will be played on Aug. 19.
Brazil, China, South Africa and Sweden are in Group E, and Australia, Canada, Germany and Zimbabwe are in Group F.
There are 12 teams in the women’s tournament and 16 in the men’s tournament. The U.S. has won four of the five gold medals in women’s soccer, missing only when it lost to Norway in the 2000 final.
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