COC appealing CanWNT's 6-point deduction for spying

The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) has appealed the six-point deduction that rocked Canada's women's soccer team, with a final decision from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) expected before the players face Colombia in a pivotal group-stage finale Wednesday.

FIFA imposed the penalty after police seized a drone used to spy on New Zealand, which Canada beat in its opening match of the group stage last week. The governing body also suspended head coach Bev Priestman and team members Joseph Lombardi and Jasmine Mander from all soccer-related activities for one year. Lombardi was handed a suspended eight-month prison sentence for operating the drone.

COC CEO David Shoemaker said Priestman was "highly likely to have been aware" of drone use in France.

The COC is requesting the points deduction be reduced or canceled outright. The suspensions aren't part of the appeal and will remain in place regardless of Wednesday's decision.

"The appeal is based on the disproportionality of the sanction, which we believe unfairly punishes the athletes for actions they had no part in and goes far beyond restoring fairness to the match against New Zealand," the COC said in a statement.

Canada has already offset the deduction by beating New Zealand and France in Group A. Vanessa Gilles scored in the 102nd minute to give Canada a dramatic 2-1 win over the host nation on Sunday.

"We're not cheaters," Gilles said afterward. "We're damn good players, we're a damn good team, we're a damn good group, and we proved that today."

Even if the CAS upholds FIFA's ruling, Canada can still reach the quarterfinals with a victory over Colombia on Wednesday. The defending gold medalist could even top the group if it beats Colombia and France loses to New Zealand.