The stage is set
It’s about to be “go hard or go home” time in the women’s soccer tournament at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
All eight remaining teams, including the U.S. women’s soccer team, will lay it all out on the line starting Aug. 2.
World Cup champions Spain, a rejuvenated USWNT, reigning Olympic champions from Canada, host France, World No. 2 Germany and dark horses Japan, Colombia and Brazil will compete until only one is left.
Knockout matchups revealed
The women's tournament delivered, serving up quarterfinal matches that will bring absolute entertainment to soccer fans around the globe.
The USWNT will look to keep up its astonishing form under Emma Hayes — led by the attacking trio of Sophia Smith, Mallory Swanson and Trinity Rodman — against a Japanese team that has heavily impressed in the group stages. The phenomenal Aitana Bonmati leads Spain to a quarterfinal match versus Colombia.
Overcoming their six-point handicap, Canada rode three group stage wins into quarterfinals and will go up against Germany, a match that's tough to predict a winner, while France will take on a Marta-less Brazil side.
All matches will be played on Saturday, Aug. 3, and the times for each game can be seen below.
USA vs. Japan: 9 a.m. ET
Spain vs. Colombia: 11 a.m. ET
Canada vs. Germany: 1 p.m. ET
France vs. Brazil: 3 p.m. ET
Who can the USWNT play after the quarterfinals?
The quarterfinal matches have already been placed on two sides of the bracket with the U.S., Japan, Canada, and Germany on one side, and France, Brazil, Spain and Colombia on the other.
Should the USWNT win its quarterfinal match, the winner of Canada-Germany will await. Canada is playing with a "us against the world mentality," and teams like that are typically dangerous in the knockout rounds. And Germany has a score to settle. One positive from being on this specific side of the bracket is that the USWNT can avoid Spain and France until possibly the gold medal match.