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Football at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Women's tournament

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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 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.

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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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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Match officials

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Group stage

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Group E

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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)
Sweden 0–2 China
Report (FIFA) Shi Guihong 31'
Zhao Lihong 32'

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'

United States 0–0 China
Report (FIFA)
Denmark 1–3 Sweden
Jensen 90' Report (FIFA) Swedberg 62', 68'
Videkull 76'

Group F

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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'
Norway 2–2 Brazil
Medalen 32'
Aarønes 68'
Report (FIFA) Pretinha 57', 89'

Brazil 2–0 Japan
Kátia 68'
Pretinha 78'
Report (FIFA)
Norway 3–2 Germany
Aarønes 5'
Medalen 34'
Riise 65'
Report (FIFA) Wiegmann 32'
Prinz 62'

Brazil 1–1 Germany
Sissi 53' Report (FIFA) Wunderlich 4'
Norway 4–0 Japan
Pettersen 25', 86'
Medalen 60'
Tangeraas 74'
Report (FIFA)

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 gold-colored soccer ball 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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