Women's World Cup 2015: TV Schedule, Live Stream for Quarter-Finals Bracket
The quarter-finals of the 2015 Women's World Cup are upon us, and after several shock results in the previous round, the road to the final is suddenly littered with tantalising matchups. Three of the tournament favourites will be in action on Friday, and the clash between France and Germany will undoubtedly steal the headlines.
The USA will have to battle China without a number of suspended stars, and defending champions Japan will take on Australia, who surprised everyone by beating Brazil in the previous round. In the final match, hosts Canada will go up against England, who managed to get past Euro 2013 finalists Norway in the round of 16.
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Here's a look at the full schedule for the quarter-finals, complete with TV and live stream info:
| Friday, June 26 | 9 p.m. | 4 p.m. | Germany v France | BBC 3 (for UK viewers)/Fox Network (for U.S. Viewers) | BBC iPlayer/Fox Soccer 2Go |
| Friday, June 26 | 0:30 a.m. (Next Day) | 8:30 p.m. | China v USA | BBC 3 (for UK viewers)/Fox Network (for U.S. Viewers) | BBC iPlayer/Fox Soccer 2Go |
| Saturday, June 27 | 9 p.m. | 4 p.m. | Australia v Japan | BBC 3 (for UK viewers)/Fox Network (for U.S. Viewers) | BBC iPlayer/Fox Soccer 2Go |
| Saturday, June 27 | 0:30 a.m. (Next Day) | 8:30 p.m. | Canada v England | BBC One (for UK viewers)/Fox Sports 1 (for U.S. Viewers) | BBC iPlayer/Fox Soccer 2Go |
Preview
It's a shame Germany and France, perhaps the two teams that have made the biggest impression during the tournament so far, will meet at this stage of the competition. A clash in the final could have been the dream matchup for this tournament, but instead, one European superpower will be packing its bags before the semi-final stage.
Die Nationalelf have an established track record of success at the World Cup, and they're usually favourites entering any match by rule. But even manager Silvia Neid knows Friday's match will sit on a knife's edge, as she told DFB.de:
“France are a technically brilliant team, with great ability in every position. I’m expecting a game between two even teams, who don’t want to give anything away.”
Les Bleus appeared ready to make a run at the title entering the tournament, and after a shaky start, they turned on the jets in their final group match and haven't looked back since. They cruised past Korea Republic in the round of 16, led by Louisa Necib in her first match back after a one-match benching.
The time away from the pitch seemed to do Necib some good, although The Football Sack isn't so sure:
Eugenie Le Sommer has been France's most productive forward, and against Germany's staunch and disciplined defence, she'll have to be at her very best. Meanwhile, Anja Mittag will be tasked with cracking the French defence, and the battle between star forwards may just decide which team advances to the semi-final.
As shared by ESPN's Taylor Twellman, the fact one of these teams won't make it to that stage is good news for just about everyone else:
The USA will take on unfancied China on Friday, and while the Stars and Stripes are expected to progress to the semi-finals, where they would face one of Germany or France, there are serious question marks surrounding the team.
They've yet to convince in any of their matches, struggled to break down Colombia even after the latter side were reduced to 10 players, and the suspensions of Megan Rapinoe and Lauren Holiday are looming over the squad. The USA has excellent depth, but Rapinoe and Holiday won't be easy to replace, via ESPN Stats & Info:
China had to battle their way past Cameroon, and while the side lacks the pure quality―and size―of some of the top nations, the team has shown plenty of grit and determination so far. The USA will always be favourites in this match, but China will like their chances of pulling off the upset.
Even more than the Chinese, Australia have shown just exactly how far character and determination can get you, recording their first-ever win in the knockout stages of the Women's World Cup over Brazil in the round of 16.
Their performance in the 1-0 win immediately endeared them to everyone watching, including former USA international Julie Foudy:
Japan have won every World Cup match they've played so far―by a single goal. The defending champions are efficient up front and organised at the back, and their match against a feisty Australian team should be must-watch TV.
Both England and Canada have grown into the tournament and survived difficult matches in the round of 16, and while the hosts will be slight favourites, full-back Lucy Bronze is as confident as ever, via Fox Sports 1's Julie Stewart-Binks:
Efficiency in front of goal has been an issue for both teams, and controlling the nerves will be key on Saturday. Canada haven't qualified for the semi-finals since 2003; England won their first-ever knockout-round match against Norway to make it this far.
