With gold around her neck, Desi Scott returns to KC having made history for Canada

Walking into her first pre-practice film session at Swope Soccer Village in over a month on Tuesday, Desiree Scott was glad to be back in Kansas City.

She’d just returned via Winnipeg and had to jump straight into preparing for Kansas City NWSL’s Wednesday night game against Racing Louisville.

She didn’t expect the standing ovation she received when she walked into the film room. Players, coaches and technical staff, were on their feet, applauding her.

The reason?

Scott left Kansas City in late June to join Team Canada for the Tokyo Olympics. And she returned to Kansas City as a gold medalist.

“I’m so humbled,” she said. “The hype has been amazing from the crew.”

Scott was part of the Canadian national team that won the country’s first gold medal in women’s soccer this summer. She started in five of Canada’s six games at the Olympics, included all three knockout games.

“It’s an incredible feeling,” she said. “I’m still every day waking up like ‘Did that actually happen?’ It’s just so incredible.”

Making history

The 34-year-old defensive midfielder, aptly nicknamed “The Destroyer,” was part of a historic run to the gold.

Canada eased its way through the group stage, finishing second in a pool of teams that included Great Britain and host Japan. The Canadians then inched past Brazil on penalties in the quarterfinals, setting up a semifinal against the rival U.S.

The U.S. and Canada had played 62 times. The U.S. had won 52 of those games, Canada just three.

Scott has had her own heart broken by the U.S. on multiple occasions, including a loss at the same stage of the tournament in the 2012 Olympics in London. Canada went on to win its first women’s soccer bronze that year.

Beating the United States was on Scott’s bucket list. And she finally got to do it, as Canada defeated the U.S. 1-0 in a game in which Scott played the full 90 minutes. Scott’s new teammate in Kansas City, Adrianna Franch, also played for the U.S., coming on as a substitute in the 30th minute.

“For us to beat them in such a pinnacle game in that semifinal match was massive,” Scott said. “One of the highlights of my career, personally, with that rivalry.”

But the true fireworks were yet to come for Canada.

Already having secured their highest-ever result at the Olympics, Canada wasn’t willing to settle for silver. After falling behind 1-0 to Sweden in the gold medal game, Canada fought back to tie it in the second half and force a penalty-kick shootout — the first gold medal match settled by penalties in Olympic history.

Scott played until the 122nd minute of that game, substituting out just before the final whistle and the shootout.

“Watching is my forte,”she laughed. “I did not want to take a PK, and my coach knew that right from the offset.”

She watched from the sidelines, she said, crossing her fingers and toes. At one point she covered her eyes with her hands and just waited for the sound of her teammates to tell her what happened.

“My heart rate was through the roof, I was so stressed,” Scott said.

The shootout went to a sixth round before Julia Grosso tucked home the winning kick in sudden death.

“I just remember yelling ‘We did it! We did it!’ Like, veins were popping out of my neck,” Scott said. “Just so, so incredibly excited.”

For club and country

Standing atop the podium in Tokyo’s International Stadium Yokohama, two of Canada’s longest-tenured players shared a moment.

Christine Sinclair, the all-time leader for international goals for both women and men, had finally won her first international competition. And Scott was there place the gold medal over Sinclair’s head and onto her shoulders.

“(Sinclair) has literally paved the way for this program, for the sport in general, and I think to be able to do that, to know that you’ve finally reached that pinnacle at the top of the podium, it was such an honor,” Scott said.

Scott hopes the gold medal victory will aid in the push to bring a women’s pro league to Canada. That charge is being led by current and former Canadian players, including Scott’s former KC teammate Diana Matheson.

“Our team continues to grow, and I hope the support continues to grow,” Scott said. “We invest in the women’s game up there from the grassroots all the way up to hopefully a professional league. I’m hoping people just take note and really come and support the women’s game.”

She also hopes to imbue some momentum to a KC club that could sure use it. KC currently ranks at the bottom of the National Women’s Soccer League standings. Last week’s high brought on by the organization’s first victory was tempered by a 4-0 loss to North Carolina in the days that followed.

KC coach Huw Williams said he wants Scott back on the field as soon as possible.

“We’re having a bit of a rough season, so hopefully I can infuse some energy and just bring that hype and belief in a squad,” Scott said. “When you have that belief behind you, I think it can go a long way.”

This story was originally published August 25, 2021 at 5:00 AM with the headline "With gold around her neck, Desi Scott returns to KC having made history for Canada."