Women's World Cup Bracket 2015: Predicting Standings Pre-Monday's Group Fixtures
Just one game remains for each side in the group stages of the 2015 Women's World Cup in Canada, and a last-16 spot is still very much up for grabs for many.
The top two from each of the six groups advance to the first knockout round, along with the four top-performing third-placed finishers.
Monday's action sees Group A and Group B finish up, with hosts Canada looking to confirm top spot against the Netherlands in Montreal.
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Read on for a look at Monday's fixtures and for predictions as to how the first two groups will finish up.
| Date | Time (BST/ET) | Group | Fixture |
| June 15 | 9 p.m./4 p.m. | B | Thailand vs. Germany |
| June 15 | 9 p.m./4 p.m. | B | Cote d'Ivoire vs. Norway |
| June 15 | 12:30 a.m./7:30 p.m. | A | Netherlands vs. Canada |
| June 15 | 12:30 a.m./7:30 p.m. | A | China PR vs. New Zealand |
| TEAM | P | W | D | L | GD | PTS |
| Canada | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| Netherlands | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| China | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| New Zealand | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | -1 | 1 |
| TEAM | P | W | D | L | GD | PTS |
| Germany | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 4 |
| Norway | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| Thailand | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -3 | 3 |
| Cote d'Ivoire | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -11 | 0 |
Group A
| Team | P | W | D | L | Pts |
| Canada | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 |
| China PR | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| Netherlands | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| New Zealand | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
Canada face their toughest test of the tournament so far against the Netherlands on Monday but should be able to claim the win they need to secure top spot in Group A.
Goals have been hard to come by for the hosts—they have scored just once in their two matches so far—but the same has been true for all of their fellow pool members.
The only Dutch goal came in their opener against New Zealand, when they won 1-0 thanks to Lieke Martens' long-range stunner, per Football Oranje:
"Lieke Martens with Netherlands first ever goal at the Womens World Cup, and it was a belter https://t.co/YDBtxeXbRS
— Dutch Football (@football_oranje) June 7, 2015"
Martens is just one of a number of dangerous attacking threats in the Dutch side who will need to be well marshalled by the as-yet-unbeaten Canadian defence.
Skipper Christine Sinclair is the most deadly threat for Canada—her career goal tally is mighty impressive per ESPN's Paul Carr—and the hosts need to give her the opportunities to punish the Dutch:
In what is sure to be a tense, close match, expect home advantage to push Canada to victory and the top of Group A.
China's match with New Zealand should be equally tight—they are 16th and 17th respectively in FIFA's world rankings.
However, China will have decent momentum from their 1-0 win over the Dutch, a game in which they dominated possession and created numerous chances.
The Kiwis have yet to score a goal in the tournament, and their lack of firepower up front will see them finish bottom of the group and eliminated.
Group B
| Team | P | W | D | L | Pts |
| Germany | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 |
| Norway | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 |
| Thailand | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Cote d'Ivoire | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
Tournament favourites Germany were held to a 1-1 draw by an exciting Norwegian side in their second group game on Thursday.
However, thanks to their 10-0 thrashing of now-eliminated Cote d'Ivoire in their opener, the two-time World Cup winners will surely top Group B with a victory over Thailand on Monday.
Thailand beat the African outfit 3-2 in their second game but were out-classed in a 4-0 defeat to Norway in the opener.
Germany have more than enough quality to turn over Thailand easily and confirm top spot in the group, and the tournament's current leading scorer, Anja Mittag—she has already netted four times—could well add more to her tally.
Norway have a slight chance of leap-frogging Germany into first place in Group B if they seal an inevitable victory against Cote d'Ivoire, but it would take a truly astronomical drubbing if they are to close the goal-difference gap.
A second-place finish for Norway would see them through to the last 16 to face the Group F runners-up, meaning a potential clash with either France or England.
Norway look a classy outfit—see Maren Mjelde's perfect free-kick against Germany per BreatheSport below—and will pose a massive challenge to any opponent.
"Norway's Mjelde scores a perfect free-kick! #PirloIsImpressed https://t.co/W5vodd2xUd
— BreatheSport (@BreatheSport) June 11, 2015"
Equally, the Germans have looked ominously good so far, and a top-spot finish in Group B would give them an easier path as they aim to go all the way and seal a third World Cup.
