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, Orlando, Birmingham 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 edit

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 edit

The qualification system for the inaugural women's football tournament was based on the results of the 1995 FIFA 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 edit

The tournament was held in five venues across five cities:

Squads edit

Match officials edit

Group stage edit

Group E edit

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'
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'

Group F edit

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'

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'

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)

Knockout stage edit

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

Semi-finals edit

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.)  United States
Medalen   18' Report Akers   76' (pen)
MacMillan   100'
Attendance: 64,196
Referee: Sonia Denoncourt (Canada)

Bronze medal match edit

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

Gold medal match edit

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

Statistics edit

Goalscorers edit

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 edit

4 assists

2 assists

1 assist

Source: FIFA[17]

FIFA Fair Play Award edit

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 edit

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 edit

  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)

External links edit