Nichelle Prince of Canada evades Julie Ertz of USA during the women’s soccer semi-final at Ibaraki Kashima Stadium on August 2, 2021.Melissa Tait/The Globe and Mail
Olympic organizers are changing the start time of the women’s soccer gold-medal game between Canada and Sweden.
A Canada Soccer spokesperson confirms the match will now be played Friday night (9 p.m. local time, or 8 a.m. Eastern Time) at International Stadium Yokohama.
The kickoff was originally set for Friday morning (11 a.m. local time, Thursday 10 p.m. ET) at Tokyo’s Olympic Stadium.
Both teams requested a time change due to concerns about the players’ health and safety.
Temperatures have hovered in the mid-30s all week in the Tokyo area and the forecast is calling for more of the same Friday afternoon.
It’s Canada’s first-ever appearance in the Olympic women’s soccer final.
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