Soccer Spygate! Two Canadian Women's Soccer Coaches Sent Home After Illegal Drone Use

Two Canadian Olympic women's assistant soccer coaches have been dismissed by the team after two incidents of reportedly using drones to spy on New Zealand's team ahead of their first match against each other.

Canadian team soccer analyst Joseph Lombardi and assistant coach Jasmine Mander were sent home from the Paris Olympics after New Zealand saw Lombardi using a drone during one of their private soccer practices, presumably to get an illegal and unfair advantage on the team's game plan. New Zealand team officials immediately contacted the International Olympic Committee, which alerted French law enforcement and took the two Canadian assistant soccer coaches into custody while also revealing that there was a separate drone spying incident as well.

Although it's unclear if the Canadian teams knew what the two coaches were doing (plausible deniability, anyone?) Canadian head coach Bev Priestman voluntarily stepped down from coaching the team's first Olympic match against New Zealand.

Canada won the 2020 Olympic gold medals for women's soccer.  (Photo by Loic VENANCE / AFP) (Photo by LOIC VENANCE/AFP via Getty Images)

CANADA USED DRONES TO SPY ON OPPONENT'S PRACTICES

"On behalf of our entire team, I first and foremost want to apologize to the players and staff at New Zealand Football and to the players on Team Canada," Priestman said via a statement. "This does not represent the values that our team stands for. I am ultimately responsible for conduct in our program. In the spirit of accountability, I do this with the interests of both teams in mind and to ensure everyone feels that the sportsmanship of this game is upheld."

The IOC is continuing its investigation, but already some are wondering if the Canadian women - who won their first women's soccer Olympic gold medal during the last Summer Olympics, were also illegally spying on their opponents.

FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS - JANUARY 11: Head coach Bill Belichick (L) of the New England Patriots speaks to the media as owner Robert Kraft (R) looks on during a press conference at Gillette Stadium on January 11, 2024 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Belichick announced he is stepping down as head coach after 24 seasons with the team. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

SHADES OF THE PATRIOTS SPYGATE

The incident is being likened to 2007's NFL Spygate scandal in which the New England Patriots were caught videotaping the rival New York Jets defensive coaches' signals from the opposing sideline during a game between the two teams. The NFL and Commissioner Roger Goodell would end up fining Patriots head coach Bill Belichick the maximum allowed penalty of $500,000, the team $250,000 and a forfeit of their 2008 NFL Draft first-round pick for having knowledge of the spying incident.

Meanwhile, as the Olympic Committee's investigation continues, we'll hopefully soon find out to what extent Canada was illegally using drones to cheat. 

We'll also see if the tape and subsequent game plan was passed to Team Canada and if it has an advantage when it plays  New Zealand in the first round of the Olympics.