One Game from Gold, Rio Is Poised for Semi-Final Drama

The women's football tournament at the Rio de Janeiro Summer Olympic Games has reached the semi-final stage, and Brazil, Sweden, Canada and Germany are just one win away from a guaranteed medal.

To lose at this stage is heartbreaking; you will have a chance to win a bronze, but it's the game no one wants to play in.

Both fixtures have history, and that's just at this tournament, but all four teams have reasons to believe they are destined for glory in Rio.

Sweden lost 5-1 to Brazil in the group stage, as they couldn't cope with the speed, intensity and desire from the host nation's attack.

One player Pia Sundhage's team know all about is Brazil's captain and superstar, Marta. She plays her club football for FC Rosengard, playing her fourth year in Sweden.

She will come face-to-face with team-mates Emma Berglund and Sweden's all-time leading goalscorer, Lotta Schelin.

Brazil are the obvious favourites on the back of the passionate home support and the group-stage win, but this is not the same Scandinavian team the hosts will face on Tuesday.

Against the USA in the quarter-finals, Sweden put in the defensive performance of the tournament. They may have been criticised for parking the bus and soaking up the Americans' attacks, but it worked to perfection.

Stina Blackstenius came off the bench to open the scoring. Alex Morgan hit back, but Sweden held on to reach the penalty shootout. Hedvig Lindahl saved Morgan's spot-kick and then watched as Christen Press fired her attempt over the bar.

It was the biggest shock of the tournament, opening the door for any of the four teams to win gold. Brazil coach Vadao admitted before Tuesday's game that all of the remaining teams are strong enough to take the gold, via FIFA.com:

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When the fixture schedule was released, I said that of the 12 teams, around eight had what it takes to win gold. All four semi-finalists have a good chance of tasting glory. On our side, our preparations have been very good and we're psychologically ready. It won't be a game that will teach us any lessons--we've already learned from what happened at last year's World Cup.

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Brazil, too, had to go through a shootout to reach this stage. Held goalless by a heroic Australian performance, the host nation must have thought the worst when Marta failed to find the net with her penalty.

Barbara stepped up to hero status when she saved from Katrina Gorry and Alanna Kennedy.

Sundhage will likely take up the same tactics. They tried to play a high line in the first game, and Brazil took them apart. The vastly experienced Swedish coach won't fall for that twice.

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Brazil women must win Olympic soccer gold says coach Vadao https://t.co/4PQxPeCX9S

— ESPN Olympics (@ESPNOlympics) August 15, 2016"

It's Brazil's game to lose, but Sweden must feel, after knocking out the favourites, that it's their tournament to win.

Over in Belo Horizonte, just like Brazil and Sweden, Germany will face Canada for the second time in this tournament, but the dynamic has completely changed since that meeting in Brasilia.

Going into the group game, Canada had never beaten Germany in 12 attempts. When Melanie Behringer gave the European side a 1-0 lead from the penalty spot after 13 minutes, the Canucks must have thought that run was going to continue.

However, John Herdman's team have been a different animal at these Games. Melissa Tancredi hit back twice, once in each half, pushing Canada into the lead and giving them a hope that perhaps has not been there before.

That victory saw them top the group, setting up a tough fixture with France. Once again, they held strong, frustrated Les Bleues and scored a wonderful goal through Sophie Schmidt.

It was something Schmidt, who plays her football for Frankfurt in Germany, almost predicted, as the midfielder told FIFA.com:

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I just had a feeling and so in the morning I said I was going to score a goal. It's crazy. How'd it happen? I don't know, but I had a really powerful feeling. My team-mates were asking me whether I'd score a wonder goal or a tap-in and I said that it didn't really matter, did it? I just knew I was going to make it happen.

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After great work from one of the stars of the tournament, Janine Beckie, she crossed to the back post, and Schmidt was there to volley home the finish.

Canada won a bronze medal in London four years ago, but it came after losing an incredible match 4-2 to the USA. With the way they are playing both in attack and defence, they will be confident of going one better this time around.

To do that, they will have to once again find a way to beat Germany. Silvia Neid's team have been less than convincing throughout this tournament, but when you have a 30-year-old midfielder in Behringer scoring an unexpected four goals, anything is possible. Behringer talked about her impressive tournament in an interview with FIFA.com:

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I feel good and am doing well. Everything stems from my beliefs. I'm deeply religious and read the Bible. I try to implement those things and it's working out pretty well. I view the fact that I'm playing here as a huge blessing. It's a big honour to be here and I'm delighted that I'm performing well out on the pitch.

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Every game could be Neid's last as Germany's coach, relinquishing control once the Olympics are over, and Behringer believes the previous meeting can only help the FIFA World Cup semi-finalists:

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I think it was a good thing we faced Canada in the group stage. We know what to expect. In principle we know how they'll play and how their individual players tick. That can only be a good thing. We'll perhaps have to approach it differently than we did in the group game. We'll have to be much more aggressive, otherwise we won't have a chance. Everyone wants to reach the final and we can hardly wait. I'm confident we can do it.

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Germany dominated their quarter-final against China, but as has been a theme after their opening 6-1 win over Zimbabwe, they have failed to convert possession into goals.

Even when they had taken the lead against Bruno Bini's side via a thunderbolt from Behringer, China won a penalty and had the chance to get back into the game. Wang Shuang hit the post, and Germany were saved, squeezing through 1-0.

Bronze is the best that both Canada and Germany have ever managed in the past. Both know that one team is guaranteed at least a silver.

In the other game, Brazil are looking to upgrade on the silver medals they won in both 2004 in Athens and 2008 in Beijing, hoping to ride the emotion of the home Rio crowd. Sweden, despite their standing as one of the best teams the women's game, have never finished higher than fourth.

Two games, history could be made, and it makes both of these contests amazingly intriguing. It should be an absolutely fascinating evening of women's football across Brazil.