Women's World Cup Schedule 2015: Live Stream, Times for Quarterfinals Fixtures
The 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup is down to eight teams vying for global supremacy this summer.
On Friday and Saturday, the quarterfinals will carve the field in half with four win-or-go-home bouts. Several powerhouses remain standing in Canada, with one or two underdogs crashing the party.
While the United States crosses paths with China on Friday, the world's two other top-three clubs will collide during a monumental quarterfinals fixture. Let's take a look at the round's full schedule before highlighting the most intriguing matchup.
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| Friday, June 26 | Germany vs. France | 4 p.m. | FOX | Friday, June 26 |
| Friday, June 26 | China vs. United States | 7:30 p.m. | FOX | Friday, June 26 |
| Saturday, June 27 | Australia vs. Japan | 4 p.m. | Fox Sports 1 | Saturday, June 27 |
| Saturday, June 27 | Canada vs. England | 7:30 p.m. | Fox Sports 1 | Saturday, June 27 |
Live Stream: Fox Sports Go
Fixture to Follow: France vs. Germany
Germany holds the world's No. 1 ranking entering the World Cup; France rates No. 3 behind the United States. If these teams ever meet, it'll surely make for a terrific finals showdown between the tournament's two most impressive squads.
Wait, they're playing in the quarterfinals? That seems far too early.
What's worse is this isn't a fluky draw but rather poor planning from FIFA. The organization, which doesn't draw groups randomly like it does for the men's World Cup, placed the two seeded countries in the same grouping.
France and Germany are getting a raw deal merely because FIFA wants ratings. This isn't merely cynical speculation but something a FIFA spokesperson admitted to SI.com's Grant Wahl:
"Similar to previous draws for FIFA Women’s World Cups like Germany in 2011, teams are seeded ... and allocated into specific groups for ticketing and promotion reasons. Whilst the interest in the FIFA Women’s World Cup has grown significantly over the last years, the success and great interest from the public in the tournament in Germany in 2011 can’t be compared to the Brazil [men’s] World Cup. Filling the stadia is a FIFA and host association key objective. The allocation of teams to venues, the ticketing and promotion plan and the ticket price strategy are among the key factors for the overall success of the event.
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The winner also could get rewarded with the U.S., placing the top-three contenders in the same portion of the bracket.
The expedited meeting should especially terrify France, as Germany has compiled a World Cup-high 19 goals through four fixtures. Switzerland has registered the second most at 11, with Les Bleus in third with nine.
"It's true, they are a very powerful side, and they are also very good on the ball," France head coach Philippe Bergeroo told espnW.com's Ben Gladwell regarding Germany. "We know we're up against the best team in the world."
Germany's 52 attempts on target also doubles runner-up Cameroon's rate. Anja Mittag and Celia Sasic are tied with a tournament-high five goals apiece. Mittag lauded the dynamic duo's symbiotic relationship, per Gladwell:
"I think it's because we've known each other for so long that we harmonize so well. We're a couple of opposites, and that's why I think we complement each other so well. I'm maybe the one who looms in front of the defense and picks the ball up, and she's the one who makes the room for me. And then Celia's great in front of goal -- a real predator.
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Largely on the strength of those stars, Jay Boice and Allison McCann of FiveThirtyEight.com projects Germany's win probability at 72 percent. They wield a 33 percent chance of winning it all, with the U.S. (31 percent) the only other nation given a probability above 12 percent.
For all of the offense offered, Germany and France have each allowed two goals through four matches. It's a shame one of these countries must leave Canada prior to the semifinals.
