The world No.12 Matildas have been dealt a tough hand as they strive to win their first Olympic medal.
The draw for the women’s and men’s soccer tournaments for the Paris Games were held at a ceremony in Saint-Denis on Thursday (AEDT).
Tony Gustavsson’s side was placed in Group B along with the US, Germany and either Morocco or Zambia.
“We knew no matter who we’re going to get that this is a tournament filled of quality teams,” Gustavsson said on Thursday.
“We can talk about three games yes, but at the end of the day we need to narrow it down to the opening game against Germany.”
The World Cup semi-finalists, who defeated Uzbekistan 13-0 on aggregate last month to book their ticket, will take on the record four-time gold medal-winning American outfit.
Ranked world No.4, the US will be coached by Sam Kerr’s Chelsea boss Emma Hayes, who joins at the end of this Women’s Super League campaign.
They will also meet the fifth-ranked Germans.
Matildas vice-captain Emily van Egmond is expecting Germany to give her side a run for their money.
“With Germany, for them not having been in Tokyo (Olympics), they had a real point to prove,” van Egmond said on Thursday.
“Given how hard it was for people to qualify within Europe, I’m expecting a pretty tough opponent in Germany.
“You look at the likes of Sweden and England who obviously missed out (on Olympics qualification) so that right there tells you it’s becoming increasingly more difficult.”
Defending champions Canada were drawn in Group A with hosts France, Colombia and New Zealand.
World Cup winner Spain are in Group C with Japan and Brazil while Nigeria or South Africa will join that group as another CAF qualifier.
Hosts France will play the US in Marseille to kick-off the men’s tournament on July 24, two days before the opening ceremony in Paris.
New Zealand and the winner of a play-off between Guinea and the fourth-placed team in the Asian qualifying competition, possibly Australia’s Olyroos, complete Group A.
The US are competing at the Games for the first time since Beijing 2008 and face a potentially daunting first-up task against a side coached by soccer great Thierry Henry.
World champions Argentina were drawn in Group B with Morocco, Ukraine and an AFC qualifier.
Spain, runners-up in Tokyo, are in Group C along with Egypt, Dominican Republic and another qualifier from the AFC.
Group D features Paraguay, Mali and Israel as well as a final qualifier from the AFC.
Two-time defending champions Brazil failed to qualify.
For the first time the women’s final will wrap up the soccer tournament on August 10.
It will be staged across several venues in France including Paris, Nantes, Bordeaux, Marseille, Nice, Saint-Etienne and Lyon.
With AP & Reuters.
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