Women's World Cup Schedule 2015: Live Stream and TV Info for Friday Bracket
After some shocking results from the round of 16, only eight teams remain standing in the 2015 Women's World Cup.
We witnessed some unexpected exits from the tournament during the first round of the knockout stage, as Marta's Brazil was ousted by a surging Australian team, and a powerful Norwegian squad was sent packing by what had previously been a very inconsistent England side. Those results paved the way for some intriguing matchups, and two of them will be taking place on Friday.
Germany, the world's top-ranked team, pummeled Sweden in the round of 16 by a score of 4-1. The Germans continue to be the World Cup's powerhouse squad, but they won't have it easy on Friday against a French side that recently downed South Korea 3-0 after a tumultuous group stage.
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The United States is in action on Friday as well. The Americans advanced to the quarterfinals after defeating the Colombians 2-0 thanks, in part, to the dismissal of Colombia's goalkeeper Catalina Perez on a red card in the second half. They'll meet a Chinese side that stifled a very strong Cameroon attack to notch a 1-0 victory in the round of 16.
These contests are sure to continue the compelling nature of this year's World Cup, so to ensure you don't miss a moment of the action, let's take a look at Friday's essential viewing information.
Friday's World Cup Schedule
| Germany vs. France | 4 p.m. | Fox |
| China vs. United States | 7:30 p.m. | Fox |
Live Stream: Fox Sports Go
Match Previews
Germany vs. France
Germany and France will kick-start the quarterfinals with a titanic clash. It's not often we see the world's No. 1 team face off against the No. 3 squad so early in a tournament, but that's exactly the case here.
The Germans have been arguably the most dominant team in the World Cup thus far, earning a plus-17 goal differential through four matches. Germany is coming off a brilliant 4-1 victory over a Swedish side that couldn't muster enough defense to quell a powerful attack.
Crisp passing, great awareness and finishing ability led to goals from Anja Mittag, Celia Sasic and Dzsenifer Marozsan in the contest, with the German side's only hiccup coming in the form of a goal conceded off a set piece. German coach Silvia Neid commented on the match, via FIFA.com:
"We're overjoyed, right from the first minute we worked very well in thirty-eight degree temperatures. I think we were clearly the better team, we played extremely well against (Sweden's) set pieces, you can't (defend) everything against a team that is that skilled at set pieces, but I thought we were good on our set pieces as well. We tried to keep it simple, and pressure their central defenders.
"
Now, France is tasked with stopping that well-rounded squad. Interestingly enough, France has put together three clean sheets while scoring nine goals in those games. However, the team was shocked by Colombia along the way, losing that contest 2-0.
Still, the French bounced back after that upset and continued to flourish against South Korea. France was quick on the attack out of the gate as both Marie-Laure Delie and Elodie Thomis scored within the first eight minutes. While their goals were fantastic, the efforts of Eugenie Le Sommer were wildly apparent, as she became the team's playmaker and central figure. Expect her to be a focal point against Germany.
Both France and Germany are teams that love maintaining possession, moving the ball with precision and setting up scoring opportunities. Due to a similar style in play, this contest could be decided by winning 50-50 balls in the midfield and sending attackers forward.
China vs. United States
The United States may be the world's No. 2 squad, but the Americans haven't looked like it through four matches. The team continues to struggle to find offense against opposition that is susceptible on the defensive end of the pitch, which was the case yet again in the round of 16 against Colombia.
The Colombians were playing overwhelmingly sloppy soccer, but the Americans couldn't find a way to take advantage. The United States did create some early opportunities, but the team was unable to finish. As a result, the team's first goal came after Colombia's goalkeeper was sent off early in the second half on a red card.
Things will get even more difficult for the Americans in the quarterfinals. During the contest against the Colombians, both Megan Rapinoe and Lauren Holiday received yellow cards, and due to FIFA's two-strike rule for yellow cards in this World Cup, they will both miss the upcoming match against the Chinese.
Here's what coach Jill Ellis had to say about the contest against Colombia and the impending absences of two of the team's top players, via FIFA.com:
"We knew we would have a challenging game because Colombia are a very good opponent. I thought we controlled most of the ball and I had faith that at some point we would break through and we are happy to advance. I thought we stroked the ball around pretty well at times. Many of the goals in World Cup football come from set-plays and that is the way it is. I know that the players that come in [for suspended players] will be confident of stepping in and doing well. I have utmost confidence in the players we have.
"
China isn't much of an offensive powerhouse and has scored just four goals in four games, but this is a very technical team that defends very well. The Chinese showed they can play an uptempo style against Cameroon and demonstrated dangerous pace on breaks. That could be troublesome for a United States side that has been caught out of position on occasion.
If China is to upset the Americans, it will need to utilize its pace by allowing the United States to control possession and strike quickly when the defensive line is high up the pitch. However, that is a common tactic employed by opponents of the Americans, and it has yet to result in a United States loss.
