The USWNT will kick off their knockout journey at the Paris Olympics on Saturday, taking on Japan in a crucial quarterfinal matchup.
The US capped off the group stage atop Group B with three wins in three games, while Japan finished as runners-up in Group C with two wins and a loss.
Soccer quarterfinals mean do or die at Olympics
Soccer’s quarterfinal round highlights the idiosyncrasies of the Olympics, wherein the winner of a single game is guaranteed to play for a medal — while the loser goes home empty-handed.
The US has historically found success in the quarterfinals, having only dropped the match once in 2016’s shocking penalty exit to Sweden.
Should the US beat Japan, they’ll play the winner of Saturday’s quarterfinal between Germany and Canada. Spain will also play Colombia on Saturday, while France takes on a Marta-less Brazil to round out the single-day quarterfinals.
USWNT vs. Japan Olympic quarterfinal preview
The last time Japan reached the Olympic medal rounds was in 2012, taking silver…
