2023 Women’s World Cup, Quarterfinals Day 2: Match thread and discussion

The second quarterfinal at the 2023 Women’s World Cup takes place overnight on Friday, and for USWNT, it’s the one that they could have been in had penalties gone their way on Sunday. Instead, it’s Japan taking on Sweden in a quarterfinal in Auckland that could be a match of two great teams.

Japan is the lone team left in the World Cup that has won a title before, and they’re the last non-USA team to do so (2011). They’re looking to get back to the top, and have been playing with purpose the entire tournament. They haven’t lost yet, and some of their wins have been clinical while also serving as a message to the rest of the world: Japan is back.

Sweden got by the United States on penalties in the Round of 16, but while they were dominated during that match, they remained cool when it counted and deserve to be here. They’re looking to show that they are a team that can hold off what many think is the best team left and advance to the semifinals. Despite the struggles against the USA, Sweden has played very well in this tournament. They also haven’t lost a match, which sets up a nice showdown at Eden Park this morning.

How to watch

Japan vs. Sweden

Location: Eden Park, Auckland

Kick-off time: 3:30am Eastern, 12:30am Pacific

Available TV: Fox (English), Telemundo (Spanish), Universo (Spanish)

Available streaming: Fox Sports (App/Website), Peacock (App/Website), Telemundo (App/Website), FuboTV (Free Trial)

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