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 after falling to the US in the gold medal match.
This year, Japan lost to Spain in their Olympic opener before mounting a comeback against Brazil and finishing strong against Nigeria to close the group stage out 2-0-1.
The USWNT most recently faced Japan at the 2024 SheBelieves Cup, walking away with a 2-1 victory off a 77th-minute Lindsey Horan penalty kick after conceding an early goal.
Japan favors a quick counter-attacking style, and the US will want to limit turnovers in the midfield to stay in control.
Emma Hayes’s starting XI remains in question
USWNT boss Emma Hayes will be forced to make at least one change to her starting XI on Saturday, as defensive midfielder Sam Coffey is set to serve a one-game suspension due to yellow card accumulation.
Unlike an injury replacement, IOC rules prohibit the USWNT from filling Coffey’s gameday roster spot with an alternate, with only 17 players suiting up on Saturday instead of the full 18.
Availability for Tierna Davidson and Jaedyn Shaw is also up in the air due to ongoing injuries. Davidson (knee contusion) sat out the Wednesday group stage finale vs. Australia, while Shaw (leg) has yet to take the pitch in France.
How to watch USWNT vs. Japan at the Olympics
The USWNT will take the Olympic pitch against Japan at 9 AM ET on Saturday, with live coverage on NBC networks.
