Canada Soccer Faces Controversy Over Drone Usage at Copa America and Olympics

In a recent development, Canada Soccer has come under scrutiny following an incident involving attempted drone usage during the Copa America tournament. An earlier report mistakenly claimed that Canada successfully used a drone to monitor a training session, but it has since been clarified that the drone usage was merely an attempt. The friendly match featured a limited roster of 12 senior U.S. players, all from Major League Soccer (MLS), alongside Under-23 players. Following a victory on Thursday, Canada’s women’s national team coach, Bev Priestman, was suspended for the remainder of the Olympics after revelations of drone usage prior to the Games. FIFA has imposed a 12-month suspension on Priestman, along with a six-point deduction from Canada’s group-stage total. In her statement, a “heartbroken” Priestman expressed her commitment to cooperating with the ongoing investigation, emphasizing her dedication to improving the program. Canada Soccer's chief executive, Kevin Blue, indicated that new internal information suggested the spying attempts were not isolated incidents. He noted receiving anecdotal feedback regarding similar issues affecting both the men’s and women’s teams. Men’s national team coach Jesse Marsch confirmed that he learned about the drone incidents during Copa America, where Canada exceeded expectations by reaching the semi-finals. In response to the second drone incident involving the women’s team at the Olympics, the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) has removed unaccredited analyst Joseph Lombardi and coach Jasmine Mander from the team, sending them home amid the ongoing investigation.