Women's World Cup 2015: Round-of-16 Format, Schedule, Odds, Bracket Predictions
The round of 16 of the 2015 Women's World Cup starts on Friday, June 20, and the schedule has been unkind to several top contenders for this year's title.
European champions Germany will meet Sweden, and if Die Nationalelf survive the tricky tie, a meeting with France could be next in the quarter-finals. Norway won't be looking forward to a meeting with England, and Colombia have shown enough quality early in the tournament to suggest they'll present the U.S. with a tough challenge.
Here's a look at the schedule for the round of 16, complete with predictions:
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| June 20 | 4 p.m. | Germany v Sweden | 3-1 |
| June 20 | 5:30 p.m. | China v Cameroon | 1-2 |
| June 21 | 2 p.m. | Brazil v Australia | 0-1 |
| June 21 | 4 p.m. | France v Korea | 3-0 |
| June 21 | 4:30 p.m. | Canada v Switzerland | 1-0 |
| June 22 | 5 p.m. | Norway v England | 2-1 |
| June 22 | 6 p.m. | USA v Colombia | 2-0 |
| June 23 | 7 p.m. | Japan v Netherlands | 2-0 |
And here's the latest 2015 Women's World Cup odds, courtesy of Oddschecker:
| Germany | 9-4 | Sweden | 40-1 |
| USA | 5-2 | Australia | 33-1 |
| France | 7-1 | China | 66-1 |
| Brazil | 9-1 | Cameroon | 80-1 |
| Japan | 12-1 | Netherlands | 110-1 |
| Canada | 14-1 | Switzerland | 100-1 |
| England | 20-1 | Colombia | 150-1 |
| Norway | 25-1 | Korea | 150-1 |
The clash between European powerhouses Germany and Sweden headlines the round of 16, and with France possibly awaiting Die Nationalelf in the next round, fans aren't happy. The bracket for this year's tournament was predetermined, and per Sports Illustrated's Grant Wahl, a scenario like this was to be expected:
Sweden were drawn into arguably the toughest group of the tournament, qualifying for the round of 16 as one of the four best third-placed finishers. They've yet to win a match during the 2015 World Cup, but they haven't lost yet either.
Speaking to the German football association's official website, manager Silvia Neid acknowledged it won't be an easy match against a side that finished third at the 2011 World Cup: "Sweden have a lot of quality on their team. The games we have played against them have always been competitive and close-fought. As of now, we have to show passion and give everything. The team in better form on the day will go through to the quarterfinals."
As if the early meeting with Sweden wasn't bad enough, Germany are likely to play France in the quarter-finals. Les Bleus will go up against Korea Republic in the round of 16, and after a 5-0 demolition of Mexico, they appear to be clicking at just the right time.
Les Bleus were seen as top contenders for silverware coming into the tournament, and after a rocky start that saw star midfielder Louisa Necib relegated to the bench due to an on-pitch incident, they suddenly found their form, as explained by Alexi Lalas for At the Buzzer:
Korea Republic more than held their own against Brazil and beat Spain to qualify for the round of 16, but while no team should be overlooked at this stage of the tournament, France have the quality to make it to the next round with relative ease.
There's a lot of positivity surrounding England after their win over Colombia, and the Lionesses will have the chance to win their first-ever knockout-round match at a World Cup against Norway, who made it all the way to the final at the 2013 European championship.
Norway drew with Germany in their second match, sandwiched between easy wins over Ivory Coast and Thailand, and given their experience in big tournaments, they should be considered favourites for this clash.
England coach Mark Sampson thinks the Lionesses have a real chance, however, per Match of the Day:
The U.S. have never lost to Colombia at a major tournament, and while the latter side have emerged as dark-horse contenders with several impressive showings during the group stages, they'll need to be at their best to have a chance against an American team expected to contend for the title.
Bracket Predictions
Top Half
Cameroon beat China but lose out on a spot in the semi-finals after losing to the USA, who beat Colombia in the round of 16.
The Yanks meet Germany, who battle their way past Sweden and France, in the semi-finals.
Bottom Half
Australia shock Brazil before losing to defending champions Japan in the quarter-finals. Their semi-final opponents are Norway, who beat hosts Canada in the quarter-finals.
