Women's World Cup 2019: Onto the knockout stage for top-ranked teams

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Group play is over and now it's time to start getting down to the nitty-gritty of the 2019 Women's World Cup.

The first two weeks of the 2019 Women's World Cup had a little bit of everything. There was a record-setting performance by the United States team in their first match, setting the tone for a team that didn't allow a goal in their first three matches.

There was the use of VAR, deciding games in stoppage time by reversing goal-saving plays. One of those games involved the team from Scotland, who was 20-minutes away from advancing before watching a three-goal lead evaporate.

And there were teams sneaking in by the skin of their teeth (with a little help along the way).

In the end, most of the teams who were supposed to advance, did.

All told, 14 of the world's 16 top-ranked teams will be present in the knockout stage. Nigeria (38th) and Cameroon (46th) are the two teams who needed a little bit of magic (and help) to advance. Both were the last two of the third-place teams to secure spots in the final 16. The Super Falcons finished third in Group A and had to wait until the finish of the Chile vs Thailand game on Thursday to earn their berth.

Cameroon, meanwhile, waited until the last possible second to secure their passage to the knockout stage. An early goal by Nchout Njoya Ajara gave Cameroon an early 1-0 lead over New Zealand, a lead that held up until the 79th-minute, when a horrendous own goal tied the game. This set the stage for final effort, a goal by Ajara that will live on in Cameroon soccer lore and vaulted the underdogs to the next stage.
The favorites, meanwhile, all stood tall. The teams from the United States, France, England, and Germany all swept through the group stage, as did the Netherlands. Things won't get any easier for any of these clubs when the knockout stage opens on June 22.

A Scotland collapse

Going up against one of the cup's top goalkeepers in Argentina's Vanina Correa, the team from Scotland wasn't given much of a chance to pick up a victory.

Instead, they found success early, built on it and, when they scored in the 69th-minute, had a seemingly insurmountable 3-0 lead. Playing in their first ever World Cup, Scotland was poised to advance to the knockout stage.

Everything was downhill from there.

Argentina scored goals in the 74th and 79 minutes, suddenly bringing a palpable tension back onto the field and into the homes (and pubs) of fans across the world.

And then, in the 86th-minute, a penalty in the box, which was only handed out upon replay review. The penalty kick was saved by Scotland's goalkeeper Lee Alexander, only to be negated when replay determined Alexander had left her line early (in one angle, that is. The other angle shows Alexander still on the line. Something this unclear and not definitive should have never been ruled on.)

One re-kick and one goal later, the game was tied and both teams walked away with one point, instead of the three both so desperately desired.

A valiant effort by Scotland, proving they belonged, and a chance to continue to grow over the next four years. The same credit can be given to Argentina, who momentarily held onto knockout stage spot with 2 points before Cameroon's victory on Thursday.

Individual performances

There has been a lot of great team performances so far in the 2019 World Cup, but there has been a handful on the individual level as well.

Alex Morgan from the United States put in five goals against Thailand. She hasn't scored since, but that's largely because she didn't play against Chile and only played one half against Sweden. Morgan didn't play the second-half thanks to being a little banged up and being pulled as a precautionary measure.

Marta, from Brazil, and Canada's Christine Sinclair have been two of the top players in the world for years now. Marta, playing in her fifth World Cup scored her record-setting -- for both men and women -- 17th World Cup goal in Brazil's victory over Italy.

Sinclair, also playing in her fifth World Cup, scored career goal no. 182 in a loss to the Netherlands. She is three goals away from passing American Abby Wambach's record of 184.

Australia's Sam Kerr is currently tied with Morgan for the golden boot, given to the cup's top goal-scorer. Kerr scored four goals in Australia's victory over Jamaica to close out the group stage.

Knockout Stage

Eight matches, starting Saturday and ending Tuesday, promise to keep the excitement going. Here's the full lineup.

June 22
  • Germany vs Nigeria (11:30 am EST)
  • Norway vs Australia (3:00 pm EST)
June 23
  • England vs Cameroon (11:30 am EST)
  • France vs Brazil (3:00 pm EST)
June 24
  • Spain vs USA (Noon EST)
  • Sweden vs Canada (3:00 pm EST)
June 25
  • Italy vs China (Noon EST)
  • Netherlands vs Japan (3:00 pm EST)
photo credit: pexels.com

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