The United States women haven’t blown anyone away so far at the Women’s World Cup, but they’re getting the job done. They won the tournament’s toughest group, beat Colombia by two goals in their last match and now take on China in the quarterfinal.
USA vs. China, 2015 World Cup: Start time, TV schedule and team news
Can the United States cope without two of their best players in the World Cup quarterfinal?
China got out of a group with no bad teams, finishing second in Group A behind Canada, and ahead of the Netherlands and New Zealand. In their Round of 16 match, they defeated Cameroon, scoring on a first half set piece and never looked back. They didn’t dominate possession and had fewer shots, but defended well after going ahead.
Breaking them down might be tough for the United States, since they’re missing two of their top players. Left winger Megan Rapinoe and central midfielder Lauren Holiday both picked up their second yellow cards in the Colombia match and have been suspended for this game. Head coach Jill Ellis has said that Morgan Brian will replace Holiday, while Rapinoe’s replacement is yet to be determined. Christen Press has played at both striker and winger in this tournament, while true winger Heather O’Reilly is yet to see the pitch.
Key player: Alex Morgan
With Holiday and Rapinoe out, there's going to be more pressure on Morgan to create her own shot and make the most of the opportunities she does get. Between China's compact, defensive system and the suspension of those two creative players, the scoring chances aren't going to come easy for the United States' biggest attacking star.
Key matchup: The wings
China will pack their back four in and play two very deep defensive midfielders, restricting space in the center and giving it away out wide. Whoever plays on the wings for the U.S. in Rapinoe’s absence will have to make plays, and China’s wingers and fullbacks will need to close them down quickly.
Match Date/Time: Friday, 7:30 p.m. local/ET
Venue: TD Place Stadium, Ottawa, Canada
TV: FOX (U.S. -- English), NBC Universo, (U.S. -- Spanish) RDS, TSN2, CTV (Canada), BBC Red Button (U.K.), CCTV-5, CCTV 5+ VIP (China)
Online: Fox Soccer 2 Go (U.S. - English), Telemundo (U.S. - Spanish), BBC Sport Online (U.K.), TSN (Canada), CNTV (China)
Listings via Live Soccer TV.
