Women's World Cup Schedule 2015: Live Stream, Group Times for Wednesday Fixtures
The final day of the group stage in the 2015 Women's World Cup is upon us, and its matches will determine the last seven nations that will be moving on to the knockout rounds.
Currently, 11 teams are locked into their spots for the round of 16. On Tuesday, Japan notched its third straight win, defeating Ecuador 1-0 to take Group C. Cameroon edged Switzerland to finish second. The United States took down Nigeria 1-0 to finish atop Group D, and a draw between Australia and Sweden was enough to send the Matildas through.
Groups E and F are in action Wednesday, and they are in entirely different scenarios. With six points, Brazil has already locked up Group E, as Costa Rica is its next closest competitor with two points. We'll see if the Selecao decide to rest some players due to their advantageous position. On the other hand, Colombia leads Group F with four points but is chased by both England and France with three each. Get ready for a wild ride.
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By the end of the day, a total of four more teams will be eliminated from the World Cup, leaving us with 16 competitors for the knockout stage. As we anxiously await to see how things will unfold, let's take a look at the schedule for Wednesday's action and preview the match of the day.
Wednesday's World Cup Schedule
| F | Mexico vs. France | 4 p.m. | Fox |
| F | England vs. Colombia | 4 p.m. | FS1 |
| E | Costa Rica vs. Brazil | 7 p.m. | FS1 |
| E | South Korea vs. Spain | 7 p.m. | FS2 |
Live Stream: Fox Sports Go
Match of the Day
England vs. Colombia
Group F brings a significant amount of intrigue to Wednesday's action. The group's four teams are separated by a total of just three points, giving each the opportunity to advance through to the knockout stage.
Colombia has the best opportunity, as a draw with England would give it five points and assure it of at least second place. England could also get through with a draw if France also draws due to a better goal differential; however, that's a risky proposition. More likely than not, both the Colombians and English will be playing for the win.
England hasn't been overwhelmingly impressive thus far, losing to France and edging out Mexico, but the same can't be said for Colombia. The South American side played to a 1-1 draw in its opener against Mexico and went on to shock the world, defeating France 2-0 in its ensuing game.
Mark Sampson, coach of the Three Lionesses, spoke about the difficulty to scout a team like Colombia before the World Cup and stressed the importance of doing so whenever possible during an interview with Louise Taylor of the Guardian:
"Women's football is still at the stage where it's incredibly difficult to get hold of proper footage of teams like Colombia. Our head of analysis has gone out there six times to watch them live but all he had was a camera phone so it made it very difficult. I don't think I'd know how to film a match on a phone but Dave's [chief opposition analyst] done a great job trekking round the world and getting a few more stamps in his passport.
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Sampson also added that he feels his team has an advantage playing Colombia in its third World Cup game rather than its first. Still, even with better familiarity on England's side, it must tighten up on both ends of the pitch.
England failed to generate any kind of an attack in its opener against France, accumulating just three shots (one on target) and winning only three corners. The team fared better against Mexico's shaky defense, recording 23 shots with 10 on target and gaining 60 percent of the possession. However, it still took the Three Lionesses until the 71st minute to find the back of the net.
Defensively, England gave up far too many attempts in its second contest. Despite maintaining just 40 percent of possession, the Mexican side generated 20 shots (seven on target) and won three corners and eight free-kicks. There's a chance that will be problematic against a very accurate Colombian side that has only amassed 10 shots but put four on target and three in the back of the net.
Colombia doesn't have much of an attacking mindset. The team boasts a solid back line with center backs capable of breaking up attacks and sending teammates quickly up the field on a counter. That's exactly how the Colombians defeated France, who out-shot their opponents 21-3.
To combat Colombia's sound defense, England must remain particularly accurate when passing in the attacking third of the field. The Three Lionesses will need a world-class effort from forward Fran Kirby, a great goalscorer who is fantastic with the ball at her feet. Maintaining possession will be key and accuracy will be necessary in this crucial match.
