On July 22, which in the context of these Olympics is both two weeks and two years ago, retired U.S. soccer star Julie Foudy was asked about the Canadian women’s team. They were arriving in France as defending Olympic champions.

“Going back-to-back is asking a lot,” she said, “given the quality of teams here.”

The Canadian women will not repeat as Olympic champions. But what unfolded all around them over the last two weeks in France is more complicated than that one sentence. What happened to the women’s program – a beloved underdog; then finally a champion – will be discussed long after they return home.

Canadian soccer fans rallied around the players, who were left to sort the fallout of a drone scandal over a chaotic two-week run in France{ai:summary}<p>Julie Foudy, a former U.S. soccer star, reflected on the challenges facing Canada's women’s soccer team, the defending Olympic champions, as they arrived in France. Two weeks later, their journey would reveal complexities beyond just their struggle to repeat.</p><p>The tale of the Canadian women's team—once an underdog, now a champion—will echo in discussions long after their defeat, a reminder of the relentless pursuit of greatness. #sports</p>

Inside the wild Olympic journey of the Canadian women's soccer team

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