Women's World Cup Schedule 2015: Bracket Predictions for Round-of-16 Fixtures
The group stage has concluded, and the knockout stage is set to commence in the 2015 Women's World Cup. Hang on to your hats, because the intensity will only continue to increase from here.
There will be no more draws. There will be no more second chances. From this point on, a loss means elimination from the tournament. The stakes are now at their highest, teams are playing at very high levels and we're certainly in for some compelling soccer as a result.
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Many squads have been incredibly consistent throughout the World Cup. A powerful German attack led to a total of 15 goals in three group-stage matches. A sturdy Japanese defense allowed one of the tournament's most technical teams to prevail. A young but well-rounded Brazil squad didn't allow a goal during the group stage and won all three games despite only one shot on goal from Marta.
Even more teams, however, have been enigmatic through the group stage. Colombia came out of nowhere to shock the world by defeating France 2-0 after beginning the tournament with a draw against Mexico. Australia surged back into the picture after starting with a 3-1 loss against the United States. A late goal against Canada earned the Netherlands a 1-1 draw and gave the nation just enough points to move forward in its World Cup debut.
Now, we have the opportunity to watch these wild-card squads take on the best teams in the world. Expect the unexpected.
As we anxiously wait for the knockout stage to commence, let's take a look at the full schedule and predict the outcome for every match in the round of 16.
Round-of-16 Schedule
| Sat., June 20 | Germany vs. Sweden | 4 p.m. | Fox Sports 1 |
| Sat., June 20 | China vs. Cameroon | 7:30 p.m. | Fox Sports 1 |
| Sun., June 21 | Brazil vs. Australia | 1 p.m. | Fox Sports 1 |
| Sun., June 21 | France vs. South Korea | 4 p.m. | Fox Sports 1 |
| Sun., June 21 | Canada vs. Switzerland | 7:30 p.m. | Fox Sports 1 |
| Mon., June 22 | Norway vs. England | 5 p.m. | Fox Sports 1 |
| Mon., June 22 | United States vs. Colombia | 8 p.m. | Fox Sports 1 |
| Tue., June 23 | Japan vs. Netherlands | 10 p.m. | Fox Sports 1 |
Full tournament schedule can be viewed at FIFA.com.
Round-of-16 Predictions
| Germany | 2-0 | Sweden |
| China | 1-2 | Cameroon |
| Brazil | 2-1 | Australia |
| France | 2-0 | South Korea |
| Canada | 1-1 (4-3 PK) | Switzerland |
| Norway | 3-1 | England |
| United States | 2-1 | Colombia |
| Japan | 1-0 | Netherlands |
Germany is a well-rounded team, and it will be difficult for an inconsistent Sweden side to maintain enough possession to break down its opponent's defense for a goal. The Swedes gave up four goals in three matches, and that's not a good omen, considering how powerful the German attack was during the tournament's group stage.
Cameroon's attack has been nothing short of impressive through three matches. It began with a 6-0 assault on Ecuador and scored another three goals thereafter. That's not good news for a China side that recently allowed two goals to a struggling New Zealand team. Expect the African side to advance.
There isn't much to separate Brazil and Australia. Both teams have solid attacks featuring two of the world's best players in Marta and Lisa De Vanna; however, the Brazilian defense has been far more sturdy so far and hasn't allowed a single goal through three games. While De Vanna could buck that trend, it's tough to see the Matildas generating enough offense to emerge victorious.
France hasn't been as steady as many anticipated prior to the World Cup, but finishing the group stage with a 5-0 win over Mexico will provide a boost in confidence. Meanwhile, South Korea allowed five goals in three games, and France's forwards will be chomping at the bit to tear apart the Asian side's shaky back line.
A battle between Canada and Switzerland may be the most difficult to predict in the round of 16. Canada's defense has been solid, but the team has severely lacked offense. Switzerland generated plenty of offense during the group stage, but its defense was exposed against Cameroon. Expect a low-scoring match that will come down to penalty kicks, where Canada's experience will prevail.
Norway has been brilliant so far in the World Cup, sandwiching a draw against the Germans between two wins. The same can't be said for the England side after it fell to France and barely edged out the struggling Mexicans. While the Three Lionesses bounced back nicely against Colombia, they've shown too many weaknesses to take down the steadfast Norwegians.
The Americans finally found a bit of offense in their third game thanks to the duo of Alex Morgan and Abby Wambach. While Colombia has been a tough team due to its pace and ability on the counter, the United States will be able to take advantage of the bulk of possession in this matchup, which is likely to lead to plenty of chances for its forwards.
The Netherlands generated a nice attack during the group stage, accumulating 30 attempts (11 on goal), but it came away with only two scores. That's not a good sign against a Japanese side that allowed only one goal—to a surging Cameroon side—through three matches. This should be a low-scoring affair, with the Asian side emerging victorious.
