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The group stage is almost over. The last two days has closed the books on half of the groups and today will finish up another. This time around in Group D, we have two games with significant potential to affect the bracket.
At the top, Japan and England face off for the right to top the group. England are on six points, while Japan have four, so it will take a victory for Japan to claim first place. Whoever comes out on top will get to face a 3rd place team in the round of 16, while whoever finishes second will be stuck playing either Canada or the Netherlands, so expect to see both teams working hard to secure their spot.
England haven’t quite fired on all cylinders, but have also been comfortably in control of both their games. Japan, meanwhile, struggled mightily to generate anything against the low-ranked Argentina before bouncing back with a solid performance against Scotland. They will probably be happy to face an opponent that will challenge them for possession, since a more open game should create more space for them to build progressive attacks. The big question for England is who plays, and whether they can all work together to build a coherent offensive structure.
In the second game, Scotland and Argentina face off for the chance to secure 3rd place and potentially a berth in the next stage. A draw will suit neither, since it will almost certainly take three points to advance. That means both sides will need to attack. However, both will also know that the other needs to attack. That could make for a wild open game, or a deeply cagey one where each team waits for the other to move first.
Argentina has been a wonderful story so far, but haven’t even really come close to scoring. Will they be able to maintain their defensive resilience in a game where they have to find the net? On paper, Scotland has plenty of resources to pry them open—especially if they can move Kim Little higher and get her on the ball in attacking positions. But will they be able to execute on the day?
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How To Watch
Japan v. England
Location: Allianz Riviera, Nice
Kickoff: 3PM ET; Noon Pacific
TV: FS1
Streaming: Fox Sports Go (Website/App), Telemundo Deportes (App/Website), NBC Sports (App), Fubo TV (Free trial)
Scotland v. Argentina
Location: Parc des Princes, Paris
Kickoff: 3PM ET; Noon Pacific
TV: FS2, Universo
Streaming: Fox Sports Go (Website/App), Telemundo Deportes (App/Website), NBC Sports (App), Fubo TV (Free trial)