Women's World Cup Semifinals 2015: Latest Predictions, Odds for Updated Bracket

Only four teams remain in the 2015 Women's World Cup, but there's only room for two in the final.  

The remaining squads put on tremendous shows during the quarterfinals, as the Germans remained perfect on penalty kicks to defeat France, the United States outlasted China, Japan quelled a surging Australian side, and England took down host country Canada. Needless to say, each of these nations is absolutely deserving of their spots in the semifinals.

We're in store for two epic showdowns that will ultimately determine the teams that will compete for the title of 2015 Women's World Cup champion. Germany is ranked No. 1 in the world and will take on the second-seeded Americans. Meanwhile, defending champion Japan will attempt to remain technically sound against an England side that has continued to shock its opposition.

So, here's the burning question: Which sides have the best chances to meet in the final, and which nation is favored to win it all? In an effort to answer those inquiries, let's take a look at the updated Women's World Cup odds and predict the winners for both semifinal matches.

Updated Women's World Cup Odds

Nation	Odds
Germany	3-2
United States	7-4
Japan	7-2
England	8-1

Odds provided by Odds Shark.

Match Predictions

United States vs. Germany

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There's no questioning the United States defense. Arguably the strongest in the World Cup, the Americans haven't allowed a single goal since early in their first match against Australia, keeping four consecutive clean sheets since and only allowing two shots on target to China in the quarterfinals. The back line has been phenomenal, and so has goalkeeper Hope Solo. 

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Regardless, the Americans will be heavily tested by a German offense that has accumulated a remarkable 20 goals in five World Cup contests. Germany is a tremendously sound team on the attacking third of the pitch, as Celia Sasic and Anja Mittag have tormented opposing defenses to the tune of 11 goals in five matches.

The forwards are incredibly dangerous attackers and are only made more effective by midfielders Simone Laudehr and Lena Goessling, who are formidable players with the ball at their feet and capable of moving quickly up the pitch.

While containing Germany's attack will be a difficult test for the United States, scoring will be equally as daunting of a task. Since the Americans scored three goals against Australia in their opener, they have accumulated just four scores in their next four matches. That's not a good ratio when slated to face the world's best team.

Head coach Jill Ellis has been tinkering with her forwards in the United States' 4-4-2 formation as she attempts to find the right pairing out of tall veteran Abby Wambach, steady Alex Morgan and speedsters Sydney Leroux and Amy Rodriguez.

Against China, Ellis seemed comfortable with her starting duo of Morgan and Rodriguez, and she shared her thoughts during an interview with FIFA.com:

"

I was pleased with the players that came into starting positions, and the players that came on as subs. We talked about trying to grow in this tournament, and today was a big, big step. Tonight, we felt that China liked to build out of the back, and we thought that their backline could get disconnected from the rest of their team, and we looked to exploit that with our pressing triggers. It was a very good performance tonight, our possession was good, our movement off the ball, overall we dug in and committed. 

"

Still, the Americans have been winning with sheer will rather than dominating soccer, and if the United States is to reach the final once more, that must change against the Germans.

We can trust in the United States defense against Germany, but crisp passing to maintain possession and finishing attacks with viable chances on goal will be the Americans' keys to success. It may seem like a long shot, but with the right attacking combination and smart substitutions, this team has the depth and experience necessary to take down the world's top squad.

Prediction: United States 2-1 Germany

Japan vs. England

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Japan's dream of winning back-to-back Women's World Cups is still alive, as one of the tournament's most technically sound teams will look to usurp England for the right to advance to the final once more. Defense will be the key for the Japanese here.

Through five World Cup contests, Japan has allowed just two goals. That's quite a remarkable number considering the squad has faced high-octane offenses such as Switzerland, Cameroon and Australia. One of the biggest reasons for Japan's defensive success is its ability to maintain possession with precise passing courtesy of midfielders such as Nahomi Kawasumi.

The Japanese like to play out of the back after forcing a turnover and utilize the skill sets of their midfielders to move up the pitch and find forwards in position to attack. However, despite this strategy, the team's forwards have failed to finish on many opportune occasions, as they have struck 72 shots with just 19 on target and netted seven goals.

That statistic is actually incredibly favorable for England, as the Three Lionesses haven't been the most defensively sound team in the World Cup, allowing exactly one goal in every contest leading up to the semifinals. Rest assured, this team will need to rely on offense to notch a win here.

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Luckily, England has a very diverse offense that doesn't rely on forwards to do the scoring. The European side likes to push its entire squad up the pitch when attacking, resulting in goal-scoring opportunities for midfielders and even defenders. In fact, through five contests, England's leading goal-scorers are midfielder Karen Carney and defender Lucy Bronze, each boasting two goals.

So, the question here is if England will be able to maintain enough possession and mount enough viable attacks to threaten a sound Japanese defense enough to come out on top. While the Three Lionesses have been an exciting team to watch, it's difficult to project them to find the kind of goal-scoring opportunities necessary to take down the defending champions.

Prediction: Japan 1-0 England