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There are three Women's World Cup knockout round games today, so fans have the option of flat-out soccer gluttony. First up may be the best game of the bunch, as Brazil - looking very much like a favorite and having conceded zero goals thus far - will take on Australia.
The Matildas have drawn a lot of praise for their pressing, fashionable style of play, but the results - 1-1-1 with a 0 goal difference - point to them having major problems today. Pressing Brazil may be the best way to create some scoring chances, but Brazil still has Marta, Andressa Alves, Cristiane, and more. It seems highly unlikely that the Australian defense is up for the job of shutting down Brazil's attack, but the game may be an entertaining one in the process.
Next up will be Group F winner France, who take on a South Korean team that seems to make a habit out of playing up or down to their opponent. In this case that means they'll play up, as France is legitimately one of the four or five best teams on the planet. Of course, they haven't played like it thus far: Their 1-0 win over a terrified England was one of the least interesting games thus far, and they followed it up by losing to Colombia in the shock of the tournament.
France still won the group by blasting Mexico 5-0 (racing out to a 3-0 lead after 13 minutes), but one wonders if they're truly awake or whether they just scrambled against Mexico because a draw would have sent them out. The Koreans have proven adept at frustrating strong opponents, and in Ji So-yun they have a player who can ruin France's best-laid plans. It would still be a huge upset, but France's first two games indicate that they're vulnerable. Oh, and the prize for a win in this game? A quarterfinal against Germany, who yesterday crushed Sweden 4-1. Good luck with that!
Finally, Canada will face Switzerland in Vancouver as the nightcap. The hosts have barely had a functioning attack, and half of their goals - that's one out of two - came via questionable penalty kick calls. They've been sturdy enough in the back to make it work, but any team with Erin McLeod in goal will have to score goals on a regular basis to keep winning. Without the Washington Spirit's Diana Matheson to provide a creative spark, Canada has frankly been a chore to watch.
Contrast that with Switzerland, who have Ramona Bachmann trying to dribble through as many people as possible. Her runs are one of the most fun things happening in this entire tournament, but she has a weird knack for doing amazing things that don't turn into goals (or even chances). With Lara Dickenmann and Ana-Maria Crnogorcevic around to help, the Swiss attack should be able to trouble the Canadian defense. There's a very real chance that Canada could crash out very early despite a bracket designed to minimize their travel and their exposure to actual good teams.
Round of 16: Brazil vs. Australia
Kickoff time: 1:00pm Eastern
TV/Streaming: Fox Sports 1, Telemundo, Fox Sports Go, Fox Soccer 2Go, NBC Deportes En Vivo Extra
Venue: Moncton Stadium (Moncton)
Round of 16: France vs. Korea Republic
Kickoff time: 4:00pm Eastern
TV/Streaming: Fox Sports 1, Telemundo, Fox Sports Go, Fox Soccer 2Go, NBC Deportes En Vivo Extra
Venue: Stade Olympique (Montreal)
Round of 16: Canada vs. Switzerland
Kickoff time: 7:30pm Eastern
TV/Streaming: Fox Sports 1, NBC Universo, Fox Sports Go, Fox Soccer 2Go, NBC Universo Now, NBC Deportes En Vivo Extra
Venue: BC Place Stadium (Vancouver)
What are you drinking?: It was a late night for me, so for the first game at least it'll be a couple cups of coffee. For the second game, I'll be dropping 10 pounds of sweat at RFK, so I'm thinking I'll be alternating cold water and some kind of pilsner. For game three, it'll be more water and more beer (The Brewer's Art's Birdhouse Ale).
This is the place to be for any pre-game, in-game and post-game commentary and conversation.