The FIFA Women's World Cup France 2019 started off the group stage on Friday 7 June, and after the completion of 36 matches, the competition entered a new phase. 16 teams including the Nadeshiko Japan (Japan Women's National Team) have now entered the knockout stage, which will take place from Saturday 22.

After drawing their first group stage match against Argentina, the Nadeshiko Japan earned a victory over Scotland with the help of the goals scored by IWABUCHI Mana and SUGASAWA Yuika.

Despite losing to England in their third match, the team finished in second place of Group D, setting up a match against the Netherlands at the round of 16.

The Netherlands finished as the leader of Group E after winning all three matches they’ve played. While the team will certainly be carrying great momentum from the group stage, the team is also backed by many of their supporters showing their presence at the stadiums. The team features many key players, including Vivianne MIEDEMA, who scored a brace against Cameroon.

The host nation, France (Group A, 1st place), will face Brazil (Group C, 3rd place) at the round of 16. During the group stage, the Brazilian ace, MARTA, marked her 17th overall goal at the Women’s World Cup, making her the top scorer among both the men’s and women’s World Cup history.

France has nearly filled up the stadium in every match, showing the high anticipation from the home crowd. In search for their first ever Women’s World Cup title, Wendie RENARD leads the team in defence, while serving as a key player in their set-pieces as well.

FIFA’s top ranked team, the USA (Group F, 1st place), will square off against Spain (Group B, 2nd place). The USA got off to a good start in the group stage by crushing Thailand with a score of 13-0. Their ace, Alex MORGAN, leads the tournament goal ranking with five goals and three assists registered in three matches. In contrast, Spain was kept scoreless in two of the three group stage matches to finish as the runners-up. The winner of this fixture will face the winner between France and Brazil at the semi-finals.

Searching for their first title in three tournaments, Germany (Group B, 1st place) will play Nigeria (Group A, 3rd place). While their offence is led by Alexandra POPP, the German defence has kept a clean sheet in all three matches of the group stage. Germany and the USA were the only two teams that didn’t concede a single goal during the group stage. Despite losing a close match against France in the group stage, Nigeria has clinched their first knockout stage appearance in five tournaments.

England has won all three matches in Group D to take the group lead. The team features many talents in offence, including Ellen WHITE, as they look to better their third-place finish from the previous World Cup. After finishing as the runners-up in Group E, Cameroon has clinched their second consecutive knockout stage appearance. NJOYA AJARA scored a brace in their final match to propel the team through the group stage.

In the other fixtures, Norway (Group A, 2nd place) will take on Australia (Group C, 2nd place), while Sweden (Group F, 2nd place) will face Canada (Group E, 2nd place), setting up intriguing matches across the board. Australia’s Sam KERR has scored five goals in this competition, while Canada’s captain Christine SINCLAIR is another player to keep an eye on.

After topping Group C with their advantage in goal differential, Italy will take on China PR (Group B, 3rd place) in the round of 16. The winner of this match will face the winner between the Netherlands and Japan at the semi-finals.

As the competition intensifies at the knockout stage, the round of 16 will kick-off on Saturday 22 June. The Nadeshiko Japan will face the Netherlands Women’s National Team on Tuesday 25.

Schedule

Nadeshiko Japan (Japan Women's National Team) Squad, Schedule

FIFA Women's World Cup France 2019

Tournament Dates: Fri. 7 June - Sun. 7 July 2019

Knockout Stage Round of 16:
Wed. 26 June 2019 04:00 (Japan Time)

vs Netherlands Women's National Team

Tournament Information