How Vanessa Gilles changed the Olympic trajectory of Canadian women's soccer

The ball dribbled to Vanessa Gilles' feet, with no French player on her in front of the net.

With one kick, Gilles sent the ball flying past the French keeper and into the net, changing the trajectory of Canada's Olympic tournament in the process. The win gave Canada the most dangerous thing you can have in sport: momentum.

That would have been unthinkable just a day before, when the Canadians learned they'd be stripped of six points due to a drone-spying scandal involving head coach Bev Priestman and two staff members.

Gilles played hero again on Wednesday, heading the ball into the net to score the only goal Canada needed to defeat Colombia 1-0 and book a ticket to the quarterfinals.

But Gilles has been more than Canada's scoring leader on the pitch. 

She's part of a defensive back line that's kept the Canadians afloat through three must-win games. With the missing six points, the margin of victory was thin. Only three wins would be enough.

She's also been the public face of a team that's felt under siege over the last week, offering a window into their pain and perseverance. There's no indication players were involved in the spying scandal, but the players had to play without their coach, overcome the six-point deficit and face questions about what happened.

WATCH | Against all odds, Gilles sends Canadians into Olympic soccer quarterfinals:

After the France game, she told Radio-Canada's Christine Roger that players had been too upset to sleep or eat as the news came out over the last few days.

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

Even Canadian women's hockey captain Marie-Philip Poulin, who knows a