Dominant Great Britain win Tokyo 2020 women's football opener against Chile

Team GB 2 Chile 0

Match-winner Ellen White believes there is “more to come” from Team GB’s women’s football side after they opened their Olympic campaign with a professional, 2-0 win over Chile on a dramatic first day of Tokyo 2020 action.

Instinctively-positioned striker White scored both of GB’s goals against the South Americans in hot, humid conditions in Sapporo, as a combined British women’s side competed for the first time in nine years.

GB’s London 2012 squad stamped their mark on the sport with an iconic victory over Brazil at Wembley in front of 70,584 people, but despite inspiring a generation, that side were ultimately unable to claim a medal. This time, GB have real hopes of challenging but they are in a tough group.

With group-stage fixtures against hosts Japan (Saturday, 11.30am BST) and dark horses Canada (Tuesday, midday BST) to come, it was essential for GB to pick up three points against the lower-ranked Chile and they duly delivered, controlling possession and dictating the tempo, thanks to something of a masterclass from Arsenal's classy playmaker Kim Little.

“I asked for a good start and we made a great start,” said GB’s head coach Hege Riise, who won gold with Norway as a player in 2000. “How we started the game was exceptional; we’ve been waiting for this game for a long time and we were so eager to get started. Going forward, now it’s about the ruthlessness in the box to score even more goals.”

Fifa Best Player of 2020 Lucy Bronze delivered two nicely dinked, hanging crosses to contribute to both GB goals. Her first deep cross picked out Lauren Hemp at the back post and her knock-down was turned home by White, who scored six times at the 2019 World Cup as England reached the semi-finals. White doubled her tally after the break when she angled in Bronze’s chipped ball across the box on the volley.

“We worked tremendously hard for this moment and I feel really proud of the squad," White said. "It doesn’t stop here for us, we now look forward to facing Japan. I feel like there’s more to come, as a squad, we can grow and develop and get better as this tournament goes on.”

White was one of nine English players to start the game, along with Scotland's Little and Caroline Weir, who both impressed in a fluid-looking midfield. Wales’ Sophie Ingle became Wales’ first women’s footballer to play at the Olympics, as a second-half substitute. Weir and Little both sang the national anthem along with their Team GB women's football team-mates, prior to kick-off. Weir had admitted last week that she was undecided on whether or not to sing God Save The Queen, but all 11 of GB's starting players sang the anthem with visible pride, united with their arms around each other's shoulders.

Every GB player also took a knee at the start of the game to highlight racial inequality, and Chile's squad reciprocated. Elsewhere, in another display of activism of the opening day of sport at the Games, Australia’s players held up the Aboriginal flag when posing for their team photograph, prior to their 2-1 victory over New Zealand.

GB's captain on the day, centre-back Steph Houghton, said: "As players in Great Britain we've been taking the knee in club and international matches and we felt strongly as a group that we wanted to show support for those affected by discrimination and equality. It was a proud moment because the Chile players took the knee too to show how united we are as a sport."

GB's women are competing in the Olympic women's football event for only the second time, after making their debut in 2012. They qualified by virtue of England's performance at the 2019 World Cup, coupled with the home nations' Football Associations coming to an agreement to put together a combined side, which remains a controversial move for some.

The day's shock story came as the gold-medal favourites the United States were humbled by Sweden, who beat the world champions 3-0 to throw the competition wide open. That stunning result does not rule out the USA’s chances, with group-stage matches against New Zealand and Australia still to come for them, but Sweden will now be considered as very serious contenders, along with others including European champions Holland, Team GB and Brazil.

The Brazilians opened their campaign earlier on Wednesday with an impressive 5-0 victory over China, as Brazil legend Marta became the first player to score in five consecutive Olympics and her team-mate Formiga, aged 43, took part in her seventh Olympics.

Holland, meanwhile, were emphatic 10-3 winners over a Zambia side ranked 104th in the world. Arsenal's Vivianne Miedema scored four times, while Zambia's Barbra Banda scored a hat-trick. The free-flowing Dutch are managed by the next England manager, Sarina Wiegman, who will take charge of the Lionesses after the Olympics.

Match details

Team GB (4-3-3): Roebuck; Bronze, Houghton (c), Bright, Daly; Little (Toone, 90+2), Walsh (Ingle, 69), Weir (Scott, 90); Stanway, White, Hemp (Parris, 68)

Subs not used: Stokes, Telford (gk), Williamson

Shock as Sweden thrash favourites USA

United States icon Megan Rapinoe admitted they did “dumb stuff” as they “got bopped” 3-0 by their Olympics nemesis Sweden in the standout, shock result of Wednesday’s action in Tokyo.

After winning back-to-back World Cups, the USA arrived in Japan with high expectations that they would win a fifth gold in only the seventh staging of an Olympic women’s football event which they have dominated since Atlanta 1996, but they were completely outclassed by the Swedes, who finished third at the 2019 World Cup in France.

The four-time gold-medal winners the USA were knocked out by Sweden in the quarter-finals in Rio in 2016 and Sweden once again upped their game against their rivals as Stina Blackstenius’s brace and Juventus forward Lina Hurtig’s late header gave them a historic win which was no less than they deserved.

That brought an end to the world champions’ 44-match unbeaten streak that had stretched back to January 2019, and afterwards Rapinoe said: “I think we’re a little tight, just a little nervous. Just doing dumb stuff like not passing the ball, not tapping the ball. It is what it is, we got bopped. Now we have two more games coming.”

After Sweden had knocked the USA out in 2016, the Americans’ outspoken goalkeeper Hope Solo infamously called the Swedes “a bunch of cowards” for focusing on defending, but in the Japanese capital on Wednesday Sweden were certainly not afraid to attack the world’s number-one ranked side. They carved open their defence repeatedly and caused multiple problems with aerial crosses from wide areas.

“Did we expect this result tonight? No,” OL Reign forward Rapinoe added. “It’s frustrating, and it’s frustrating that it’s Sweden. I don’t remember the last time we gave up a goal, so to give up three is not great.”

The USA had also gone nine hours of football without conceding a goal since a friendly draw away against Sweden in April. With that draw, the Swedes had been the only side to avoid defeat against the USA since 2019, with the Americans winning 22 of their past 23 games prior to the start of the Olympics.

Yugoslavia-born USA head coach Vlatko Andonovski had not previously lost since taking charge of the side in October 2019. Visibly disappointed, he said: “Of course, [this loss] is not something we expected. There are so many things that we didn’t do well enough, but I also want to give credit to Sweden [who] played an unbelievable game. It obviously puts ourselves in a big hole - we’re the only ones that can get ourselves out of it.

“It’s not going to be easy. We have got to get good results in the next two games. But there’s still a chance. I know this team is not going to give up.”

Great Britain vs Chile: as it happened

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09:25 AM

FT - GB 2 - 0 Chile

Solid performance for GB - great start and insight into the kind of team they are going to be after a lot of unknowns ahead of the tournament.

Scots Little and Weir were key in midfield, while Bronze was instrumental in the goals. Big credit to White for her finishing too.

The defence will likely be challenged a lot more against Japan and Canada, but this will give them confidence ahead of those group games.

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09:19 AM

92 mins - GB 2 - 0 Chile

Five minutes of stoppage time allotted. Chile have been huffing and puffing for 20 minutes though, they've tired despite the relative lack of pressure from GB.

Little, who was pivotal for GB, is replaced by Ella Toone.

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09:17 AM

90 mins - GB 2 - 0 Chile

Late sub for GB:

Weir off, Jill Scott on.

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09:14 AM

87 mins - GB 2 - 0 Chile

Parris hops away from a challenge, looks like her ankle got clipped. Momentary panic, but she's run it off.

This match feels like it is winding down now.

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09:09 AM

82 mins - GB 2 - 0 Chile

Chile sub:

Lopez off, Balmaceda on.

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09:04 AM

77 mins - GB 2 - 0 Chile

Chile subs:

Acuna on, Aedo off.

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09:04 AM

GOALL!!! 70 mins - GB 2 - 0 Chile

Bronze and White combine to double GB's lead!

It starts with a Daly long throw into the box, which White passes onto Parris, who plays it back out to Bronze at the top of the area. Bronze then comes up with some magic, beating her defender to go wide, before dinking a delicate looping cross into White in the area.

White's acrobatic finish, a sideways scissor-kick while off balance, sends the ball high into the Chile goal, and Endler is well beaten. Another great example of her clinical instincts in front of goal, and great stuff to reward what has so far been a great team performance.

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08:59 AM

Elsewhere...

Sweden already giving USA trouble:

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08:57 AM

70 mins - GB 1 - 0 Chile

Chile subsitution:

Lopez off, Mardone on.

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08:55 AM

68 mins - GB 1 - 0 Chile

Substitutions for GB:

Parris replaces Hemp.

Ingle replaces Walsh.

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08:50 AM

63 mins - GB 1 - 0 Chile

GB break, and Hemp's ball into the box sees Stanway taken out by Lopez in what looks like a fair challenge. But, again, we waste at least a minute and a half waiting for the VAR check to rule out any foul play.

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08:48 AM

61 mins - GB 1 - 0 Chile

Chile's free kick comes to nothing again. They need to start trying to take advantage of these opportunities as they're not getting much of a chance otherwise.

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08:46 AM

58 mins - GB 1 - 0 Chile

Urrutia is momentarily off the field with what looks like an ankle issue.

GB plough on with advantage. Stanway's low shot gives Endler some trouble, and what should have been a simple save is let go leaving White with the chance of another tap in. But her shot comes off Guerrero and goes out for a corner.

But there's a break in play as the referee is listening out for a VAR decision. After a long wait, the referee heads to watch the replay, and it turns out White was a touch offside. No corner.

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08:37 AM

49 mins - GB 1 - 0 Chile

Stanway's drifting cross finds Hemp in the box, and she cuts in to take another shot with her left, again it goes over the bar. This is immediate pressure from GB on Chile's defence.

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08:36 AM

48 mins - GB 1 - 0 Chile

Hemp dispossesses Zamara and flies towards the box, cutting inside. Seeing White had strayed offside (one of many times so far this match), she takes her shot with her left foot from outside the box but it goes over the bar.

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08:31 AM

Second half...

... coming next!

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08:30 AM

Minister for Sport is watching

Oliver Dowden highlighting that this is a big day all round for women's sport:

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08:28 AM

Weir and Little sing the anthem

by Tom Garry

Scotland stars Caroline Weir and Kim Little both sang the national anthem along with their Team GB women's football team-mates, as GB opened their Olympic campaign against Chile.

Weir had admitted last week that she was undecided on whether or not to sing God Save The Queen, as one of only three non-English players in the squad, but all 11 of GB's starting players sang the anthem with visible pride and team unity prior to kick-off in Sapporo, with their arms around each other's shoulders.

Asked if she would "belt out the anthem", Weir had said last Thursday: “It’s something that I’ll have a think about. I’m a really proud Scot but I’m also a really proud Brit. My focus will be on the game and I’m here to do a job so that’s all I’ll be thinking about.”

Wales' sole representative, Sophie Ingle, started on the bench. GB's group also contains Canada and hosts Japan, who they face on Saturday.

Every GB player also took a knee at the start of the game to highlight racial inequality, and every starting player for Chile also reciprocated and took the knee too. It is understood GB had to obtain permission to make that stance, and they intend to do so before every game in this tournament.

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08:25 AM

Hemp's start

You've got to feel for Chile's right-back Lopez, who has had to deal with the pace of relentless winger Hemp and was lucky not to get a booking for her challenges. Hemp has not been letting up, she's been creating chances in the way she always does for Manchester City and doesn't look at all nervous about the big stage in her first major tournament. She'll be key for the rest of the match.

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08:18 AM

HT - GB 1 - 0 Chile

Ahead of half-time, Hemp goes down on the edge of the box, but the referee shouts play on. She was fouled fives times in the first 45, the most of any player on the pitch.

That was a dominant first half for GB.

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08:17 AM

44 mins - GB 1 - 0 Chile

A flurry of chances for GB ahead of half time.

Hemp with another cutback, this time to Little, but her shot goes off target.

Then Houghton's header from a corner bounces just wide of the post.

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08:15 AM

42 mins - GB 1 - 0 Chile

Hemp cuts back to White in the box, who tries to chip it over the goalkeeper from inside the six yard box, but Endler is in control. White puts up a hand to Little, who was lurking close behind and may well have got a better look at goal if she'd left the ball to her.

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08:10 AM

39 mins - GB 1 - 0 Chile

Houghton catches Araya's foot and Chile get a free kick in a fairly dangerous position about 25 yards out. But GB have been solid in defence so far, Bright in particular getting up to head out any tricky crosses.

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08:08 AM

37 mins - GB 1 - 0 Chile

Roebuck in a bit of bother here, Zamora putting pressure on her and forcing her to lunge and kick the ball out. Chile unable to do much in possession so far though.

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08:05 AM

Thoughts from Tom Garry:

There's a nice fluidity about this GB midfield. Kim Little and Caroline Weir have started brightly, and Weir and her Manchester City team-mate Keira Walsh have an intrinsic understanding. The fact there are no fewer than eight Man City players in this starting side is surely helping the team settle

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08:04 AM

33 mins - GB 1 - 0 Chile

GB are really coming into their own in this match, they're not giving Chile much of a look in and you'd expected Riise will be pleased going into half time if things stay this way.

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07:58 AM

25 mins - GB 1 - 0 Chile

Interesting training ground routine for GB's free kick, with most of GB's players wide on the right of the box as Weir, Walsh and Bright stand around the ball 25 yards out. Weir taps it to Bright, who opens up to her right, before taking a shot. It goes way over the bar unfortunately.

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07:53 AM

22 mins - GB 1 - 0 Chile

It's all GB at the minute. Hemp this time took her shot, it curling over the bar.

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07:50 AM

GOALL!!!! 18 mins - GB 1 - 0 Chile

GB GOAL!

The play started with Hemp's blistering run down the left wing, and she dinked it back into the box to keep it in play.

It eventually fell to Bronze, who delivered a phenomenal ball to find Hemp at the far post. She leapt for it, heading it back to White who tapped it in - and this time it counted. Brilliant start for GB.

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07:45 AM

14 mins - GB 0 - 0 Chile

Little's corner finds Weir who heads towards goal but it's blocked.

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07:43 AM

11 mins - GB 0 - 0 Chile

GB HAVE A GOAL DISALLOWED!

Little picks out Stanway wide on the right, and she dribbles into the box before taking a low shot to force a save out of Endler. The goalkeeper can't keep hold of it, but White's shot off the rebound, a simple tap in, is disallowed immediately as the striker was offside.

That's a shame, but right decision. GB are building momentum now.

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07:39 AM

7 mins - GB 0 - 0 Chile

Hemp escapes a yellow card despite a very late tackle from behind on Lopez Opazo. Luckily for her, the Chile free kick doesn't trouble Roebuck in goal and goes wide.

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07:37 AM

5 mins - GB 0 - 0 Chile

Dangerous free-kick. Weir takes it but it's too high for Bright.

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07:35 AM

3 mins - GB 0 - 0 Chile

White collides with Pardo early on, but recovers.

Then some brilliant play from GB, Weir, Houghton and Hemp connecting with one-touch passes in midfield before Bronze stuck a cross into Weir in the box. Her shot was awkward due to the height of the ball, and Endler makes an easy save.

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07:29 AM

Here we go!

Scots Little and Weir, who were unsure last week, belt out God Save the Queen along with the rest of the team, they all take the knee - and kick off is coming next!

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07:25 AM

Not ideal prep

Team GB are undefeated in nine years - but only because they haven't played a single pre-tournament warm up fixture. Their match against Zambia was cancelled due to coronavirus restrictions, and they played one behind closed doors in Tokyo against New Zealand which they won. Today will be Riise's first look at her squad under real pressure.

Anthems next.

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07:21 AM

TV coverage has kicked off

We've got Alex Scott hosting with former Manchester United manager Casey Stoney offering her thoughts.

Both of them lined up in defence for Team GB in 2012, when they got to the quarterfinals. Stoney says there's more expectations on the team this time around:

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07:15 AM

Tom Garry gives us some pre-match thoughts:

With GB playing again in just three days' time against hosts Japan, I'm told we shouldn't read too much into Nikita Parris being on the bench rather than starting. Hege Riise is said to be highly likely to rotate the squad, especially for the group games, purely because of the squeezed schedule, and Wales midfielder Sophie Ingle and England defender Leah Williamson could be among the others to come straight in to start on Saturday, along with Parris

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07:01 AM

Other women's football action

Team GB's match is the first of six taking place today. Here are the other fixtures, with KO times in BST:

China vs Brazil (9am)

Sweden vs USA (9:30am)

Japan vs Canada (11:30am)

Zambia vs Netherlands (12pm)

Australia vs New Zealand (12:30pm)

The Sweden-USA tie is the tastiest match up, a replay of the 2016 quarterfinals which saw the reigning champions USA dumped out on penalties.

There's also the remarkable story of Brazil's veteran captain Formiga, 43, who today becomes the first ever athlete to compete in seven Games in a team sport. She made her debut in Atlanta, 25 years ago.

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06:42 AM

CHILE TEAM NEWS:

Chile (4-4-2): Endler; N. Lopez, Pardo, Guerrero, Saez; Zamora, Y. Lopez, Araya, Lara; Urrutia, Aedo

Subs: Campos, Ramirez, Acuna, Balmaceda, Toro, Grez, Mardones

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06:38 AM

GB TEAM NEWS:

GB (4-3-3): Roebuck; Bronze, Bright, Houghton (C), Daly; Little, Walsh, Weir; Stanway, White, Hemp

Subs: Telford, Stokes, Ingle, Parris, Williamson, Scott, Toone

Main takeaways are Fran Kirby misses out, and is not even on the bench, after picking up a knock in training. Nikita Parris doesn't start either, but could be used as a substitute.

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06:26 AM

Parris, Ingle and Little reflect on 2012

Did you catch our exclusive chat with two of Team GB's captains and attacking talent Nikita Parris? Women's football reporter Tom Garry sat down with them to reminisce on the impact of the London Games. Read it here.

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06:13 AM

Riise: 'It will be an emotional rollercoaster'

Hege Riise has urged Team GB to forget their emotions if they want to clinch Olympic gold.

Riise's squad start their campaign against Chile in Group E in Sapporo today - two days before the opening ceremony in Tokyo.

Riise won gold with Norway at the Sydney Games in 2000 after losing the opening match 2-0 to the United States, before going on to beat them 3-2 in the final.

It gives the former midfielder important perspective, which she believes will be key in Japan.

"It will be an emotional rollercoaster and how we deal with that individually and as a team will be crucial," said Team GB's coach.

"You need to have confidence that you are well prepared but also know not every game will be a great game, you might win on a day which isn't great.

"You must overcome the feelings of not performing and being at your best but still win.

"The emotions of being in an Olympics are quite big and the games come so quickly so you don't have the time to be too overwhelmed or happy. You just need to get going.

"You can prepare for something and it doesn't happen so you need to be adaptable to whatever comes. We have to be prepared for that."

Team GB qualified for just their second Olympics after England finished fourth at the 2019 World Cup. A home nation had to finish as one of the three best European teams at the tournament to reach Tokyo.

The bulk of the squad is made up of England players, with Wales' Sophie Ingle and Scottish duo Caroline Weir and Kim Little also selected.

They have had just one game, a 3-0 win against New Zealand in Kawasaki last week, but Riise played down their lack of time together.

"We talked about this being a challenge, in a few months we've got to know each other as a team to fight for a gold medal," said the interim England boss.

"It's a big task for us but I feel like we will take that fight and do whatever, we will focus on what we can do, how we will prepare, how well we are prepared.

"Of course we don't have the 10 games leading up but we have to focus on what we actually can do and I feel we are in the same positive thinking."

They face Chile in Sapporo, northern Japan, before playing the hosts on Saturday and then travel to Kashima to take on Canada on July 27.

"We are happy to start in Sapporo so that was a good situation for us," added Riise.

"We have prepared for Chile just as much as we have for Japan and Canada. They are hard to beat, they have drawn against Germany and it's not an easy game.

"We want to have a good start and then we will see, it's hard to plan for anything other than this game. We want to win."