Wikipedia

Football at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Women's tournament

The 1996 Summer Olympics—based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States—marked the first time that women participated in the Olympic association football tournament.[1][2] The tournament featured eight women's national teams from four continental confederations. The teams were drawn into two groups of four and each group played a round-robin tournament (which was held in Miami, Florida, Orlando, Florida, Birmingham, Alabama and Washington, D.C.). At the end of the group stage, the top two teams advanced to the knockout stage (which was held at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Georgia), beginning with the semi-finals and culminating with the gold medal match on August 1, 1996.

1996 Women's Olympic Football Tournament
Tournament details
Host countryUnited States
DatesJuly 21 – August 1
Teams8 (from 4 confederations)
Venue(s)5 (in 5 host cities)
Final positions
Champions United States (1st title)
Runners-up China
Third place Norway
Fourth place Brazil
Tournament statistics
Matches played16
Goals scored53 (3.31 per match)
Attendance691,762 (43,235 per match)
Top scorer(s)Brazil Pretinha
Norway Ann Kristin Aarønes
Norway Linda Medalen
(4 goals each)
Fair play award United States
2000 →

The United States became the inaugural champion after a 2–1 victory against China in the gold medal game.[3]

Competition schedule

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G Group stage ½ Semifinals B 3rd place play-off F Final
Sun 21 Mon 22 Tue 23 Wed 24 Thu 25 Fri 26 Sat 27 Sun 28 Mon 29 Tue 30 Wed 31 Thu 1
G G G ½ B F

Qualification

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Main article: Football at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Women's qualification

The qualification system for the inaugural women's football tournament was based on the results of the 1995 FIFA Women's World Cup. Seven best teams and the host nation were qualified for the tournament. As the third-ranked United States team was already qualified as the host, its spot was passed down to the eighth-ranked team, Japan. England was ranked seventh, but due to it not being an IOC member, its spot was passed down to the ninth-ranked Brazil.[4]

Venues

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The tournament was held in five stadiums across five cities:

Athens, Georgia Birmingham, Alabama Miami, Florida
Sanford Stadium Legion Field Orange Bowl
Capacity: 86,100 Capacity: 81,700 Capacity: 74,476
     
Orlando, Florida Washington, D.C.
Citrus Bowl Robert F. Kennedy Stadium
Capacity: 65,000 Capacity: 56,500
   

Squads

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Main article: Football at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Women's team squads

Match officials

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Group stage

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Group E

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Main article: Football at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Women's tournament – Group E
Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1   China 3 2 1 0 7 1 6 7 Semi-finals
2   United States (H) 3 2 1 0 5 1 4 7
3   Sweden 3 1 0 2 4 5 −1 3
4   Denmark 3 0 0 3 2 11 −9 0
Source: FIFA
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers
(H) Hosts
United States  3–0  Denmark
Venturini   37'
Hamm   41'
Milbrett   49'		 Report (FIFA)
Attendance: 25,303[5]
Sweden  0–2  China
Report (FIFA) Shi Guihong   31'
Zhao Lihong   32'
Attendance: 46,724[6]
United States  2–1  Sweden
Venturini   15'
MacMillan   62'		 Report (FIFA) Overbeck   64' (o.g.)
Attendance: 28,000[7]
Referee: Bente Ovedie Skogvang (Norway)
Denmark  1–5  China
Madsen   55' Report (FIFA) Shi Guihong   10'
Liu Ailing   49'
Sun Qingmei   29', 59'
Fan Yunjie   36'
Attendance: 34,871[8]
United States  0–0  China
Report (FIFA)
Attendance: 55,650[9]
Denmark  1–3  Sweden
Jensen   90' Report (FIFA) Swedberg   62', 68'
Videkull   76'
Attendance: 17,020[10]

Group F

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Main article: Football at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Women's tournament – Group F
Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1   Norway 3 2 1 0 9 4 5 7 Semi-finals
2   Brazil 3 1 2 0 5 3 2 5
3   Germany 3 1 1 1 6 6 0 4
4   Japan 3 0 0 3 2 9 −7 0
Source: FIFA
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers
Germany  3–2  Japan
Wiegmann   5'
Tomei   29' (o.g.)
Mohr   52'		 Report (FIFA) Kioka   18'
Noda   33'
Attendance: 44,211[11]
Norway  2–2  Brazil
Medalen   32'
Aarønes   68'		 Report (FIFA) Pretinha   57', 89'
Attendance: 45,946[12]
Brazil  2–0  Japan
Kátia   68'
Pretinha   78'		 Report (FIFA)
Attendance: 26,111[13]
Norway  3–2  Germany
Aarønes   5'
Medalen   34'
Riise   65'		 Report (FIFA) Wiegmann   32'
Prinz   62'
Attendance: 28,000[14]
Brazil  1–1  Germany
Sissi   53' Report (FIFA) Wunderlich   4'
Attendance: 28,319[15]
Norway  4–0  Japan
Pettersen   25', 86'
Medalen   60'
Tangeraas   74'		 Report (FIFA)
Attendance: 30,237[16]

Knockout stage

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Semi-finalsFinal
 
      
 
July 28 – Athens, GA
 
 
  China3
 
August 1 – Athens, GA
 
  Brazil2
 
  China1
 
July 28 – Athens, GA
 
  United States2
 
  Norway1
 
 
  United States (AET)2
 
Third place
 
 
August 1 – Athens, GA
 
 
  Brazil0
 
 
  Norway2

Semi-finals

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China  3–2  Brazil
Qingmei   5'
Haiying   83', 90'		 Report Roseli   67'
Pretinha   72'
Attendance: 64,196
Referee: Ingrid Jonsson (Sweden)
Norway  1–2 (a.e.t./g.g.)  United States
Medalen   18' Report Akers   76' (pen)
MacMillan   100'
Attendance: 64,196
Referee: Sonia Denoncourt (Canada)

Bronze medal match

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Brazil  0–2  Norway
Report Aarønes   21', 25'
Attendance: 76,489
Referee: Ingrid Jonsson (Sweden)

Gold medal match

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China  1–2  United States
Sun   32' Report MacMillan   19'
Milbrett   68'
Attendance: 76,489
Referee: Bente Ovedie Skogvang (Norway)

Statistics

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Goalscorers

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There were 53 goals scored in 16 matches, for an average of 3.31 goals per match. Brazil's Pretinha and Norway's Ann Kristin Aarønes and Linda Medalen finished as the top scorers of the tournament, with each scoring four goals.

4 goals

3 goals

2 goals

1 goal

1 own goal

Source: FIFA[17]

Assists

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4 assists

2 assists

1 assist

Source: FIFA[17]

FIFA Fair Play Award

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The United States won the FIFA Fair Play Award, given to the team with the best record of fair play during the tournament.[17]

Tournament ranking

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Per statistical convention in football, matches decided in extra time are counted as wins and losses, while matches decided by penalty shoot-outs are counted as draws.

Pos Grp Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Final result
1 E   United States (H) 5 4 1 0 9 3 6 13 Gold medal
2 E   China 5 3 1 1 11 5 6 10 Silver medal
3 F   Norway 5 3 1 1 12 6 6 10 Bronze medal
4 F   Brazil 5 1 2 2 7 8 −1 5 Fourth place
5 F   Germany 3 1 1 1 6 6 0 4 Eliminated in
group stage
6 E   Sweden 3 1 0 2 4 5 −1 3
7 F   Japan 3 0 0 3 2 9 −7 0
8 E   Denmark 3 0 0 3 2 11 −9 0
Source: FIFA[17]
(H) Hosts

References

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  1. ^ Vecsey, George (August 2, 1996). "Women's Soccer: 76,481 Fans, 1 U.S. Gold". The New York Times. Retrieved November 1, 2012.
  2. ^ "Women Sports Get a Boost". The New York Times. Associated Press. September 20, 1993. Retrieved September 17, 2012.
  3. ^ Gildea, William (August 2, 1996). "U.S. Women's Soccer Team Wins Gold". The Washington Post. Athens, Georgia. Retrieved August 1, 2012.
  4. ^ Women's Olympic Football Tournament Atlanta 1996
  5. ^ "USA - Denmark". FIFA. Archived from the original on January 20, 2013. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  6. ^ "Sweden - China PR". FIFA. Archived from the original on February 26, 2014. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  7. ^ "USA - Sweden". FIFA. Archived from the original on November 13, 2013. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  8. ^ "Denmark - China PR". FIFA. Archived from the original on April 29, 2014. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  9. ^ "USA - China PR". FIFA. Archived from the original on November 14, 2013. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  10. ^ "Denmark - Sweden". FIFA. Archived from the original on October 24, 2013. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  11. ^ "Germany - Japan". FIFA. Retrieved June 14, 2019.
  12. ^ "Norway - Brazil". FIFA. Retrieved June 14, 2019.
  13. ^ "Brazil - Japan". FIFA. Retrieved June 14, 2019.
  14. ^ "Norway - Germany". FIFA. Retrieved June 14, 2019.
  15. ^ "Brazil - Germany". FIFA. Retrieved June 14, 2019.
  16. ^ "Norway - Germany". FIFA. Retrieved June 14, 2019.
  17. ^ a b c d Statistics – Olympic Football Tournaments Atlanta '96. Zürich. 1996. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
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