The group stages of this year's Women's Draft World Cup were surprisingly unpredictable, with none of the four top seeds - France, England and USA - managing to win their group. To boot, England managed to finish bottom of their group with just 2 points.
So we are down to eight teams, who are placed into the knockout stages as follows:
The tastiest match has to be USA taking on France. The three group winners (Rest of World, Germany and Italy) have been relatively decent draws, but we've seen enough upsets so far to know that any victory will have to be earned.
Today we'll cover all four quarter-finals, starting with...
Rest of World vs Scotland
Rest of World were excellent in securing top spot in their group ahead of France. Scotland, meanwhile, did themselves proud too - particularly in their opening draw against USA. By getting to the knockout stages, they have bettered the performance of the real Scottish women's team (as much as they were completely cheated by VAR), and indeed any performance by the Scottish men's team. Although the men's DWC team did reach this year's quarter-finals too.
The race to start up front for RoW is won by African pair Asisat Oshoala and Tabitha Chawinga, with Kumi Yokoyama settling for the bench alongside Natasha Dowie. Scotland have pushed key player Hayley Lauder into a left wing position, with Nicola Doherty coming in at left back.
Today we'll cover all four quarter-finals, starting with...
Rest of World vs Scotland
Rest of World were excellent in securing top spot in their group ahead of France. Scotland, meanwhile, did themselves proud too - particularly in their opening draw against USA. By getting to the knockout stages, they have bettered the performance of the real Scottish women's team (as much as they were completely cheated by VAR), and indeed any performance by the Scottish men's team. Although the men's DWC team did reach this year's quarter-finals too.
The race to start up front for RoW is won by African pair Asisat Oshoala and Tabitha Chawinga, with Kumi Yokoyama settling for the bench alongside Natasha Dowie. Scotland have pushed key player Hayley Lauder into a left wing position, with Nicola Doherty coming in at left back.
Scotland kick off, and foray down the right. However, it's lost and a quick counter-attack allows Oshoala to slip it to Chawinga, but her shot is well blocked by Lee Alexander. However, Scotland held firm after that, avoiding conceding any major chances. On the stroke of half time Kelly Clark clipped the top of the bar from outside the box, as we are halfway in with no goals.
Scotland's defence has shown great discipline, but a lapse in concentration 10 minutes into the second half allows Oshoala in behind, however she places her shot well wide when one-on-one. Scotland immediately reply at the other end with a Leanne Crichton header going just wide. In the 66th minute a cross goes in towards Chawinga. It's cleared, but the flag is up for a penalty! There was a shove by Joelle Murray. Chawinga picks herself up to take the kick... it's saved brilliantly by Alexander! RoW keep coming, and Andressinha wallops the post with a powerful shot from the edge of the box. But Scotland once again dig in, and they get us through to 90 minutes, and extra time!
RoW move to a 4-2-3-1 shape, whilst Scotland have already retreated into a 4-1-4-1. It's Scotland who make the best start to the extra period, with Jo Love hitting the woodwork in the same spot as Andressinha. At the other end Rest of World earn a free kick. It's headed back across goal by Érika, and Clark's clearance hits Ross and goes in for a terrible own goal! It's a disaster for Scotland, who must pick themselves up and get back into this game.
Scotland's defence has shown great discipline, but a lapse in concentration 10 minutes into the second half allows Oshoala in behind, however she places her shot well wide when one-on-one. Scotland immediately reply at the other end with a Leanne Crichton header going just wide. In the 66th minute a cross goes in towards Chawinga. It's cleared, but the flag is up for a penalty! There was a shove by Joelle Murray. Chawinga picks herself up to take the kick... it's saved brilliantly by Alexander! RoW keep coming, and Andressinha wallops the post with a powerful shot from the edge of the box. But Scotland once again dig in, and they get us through to 90 minutes, and extra time!
RoW move to a 4-2-3-1 shape, whilst Scotland have already retreated into a 4-1-4-1. It's Scotland who make the best start to the extra period, with Jo Love hitting the woodwork in the same spot as Andressinha. At the other end Rest of World earn a free kick. It's headed back across goal by Érika, and Clark's clearance hits Ross and goes in for a terrible own goal! It's a disaster for Scotland, who must pick themselves up and get back into this game.
In the 113th minute Scotland get the chance they were waiting for, as Monica misses a routine header, allowing Scottish sub Clare Shine in on goal. She's not at a great angle, and drags her shot wide. Five minutes later and RoW are winding the clock down. Cecilia Santiago receives the ball from Monica, but doesn't control it well and Shine steals in, tackles the goalkeeper and pokes it into an empty net for a dramatic equaliser!
With neither team able to create any more chances, we go to penalties!
First up, Jo Love for Scotland... sends Santiago the wrong way! (0-1)
Linda Motlhalo up first for RoW... powers it past Alexander! (1-1)
Leanne Ross, hoping to make amends for the own goal... does so emphatically! (1-2)
Shirley Cruz... scores! (2-2)
Next up is goalscorer Clare Shine... down the middle as Santiago dives to her left! (2-3)
Kumi Yokoyama, who had a quiet game after coming on as a sub... puts it away! (3-3)
Rachael Small... right into the top corner! (3-4)
RoW captain Érika... hits it low near Alexander, but far enough away for a goal! (4-4)
Nicola Doherty... puts it away confidently! (4-5)
So, Asisat Oshoala must score... and she does! (5-5)
So to sudden death...
Hayley Lauder... in off the underside of the crossbar! (5-6)
Monica... yet another great penalty! (6-6)
18-year old Jamie-Lee Napier is next for Scotland... right into the top corner! (6-7)
Andressinha... down the middle and in! (7-7)
Kelly Clark... just beyond Santiago! (7-8)
Poliana is the fourth RoW player who has to score... and she can't! Alexander makes her second penalty save of the game and Scotland have somehow battled through!
Final score: Rest of World 1-1 Scotland (7-8p)
Player of the match: Clare Shine
Wowee, what a match! And Scotland are somehow through to the semi-finals! And we've still got three games to go!
Germany vs Spain
Germany found winning their group very easy thanks to England's collapse - a collapse that was sparked by a 5-1 battering by Germany. Spain, meanwhile, may have missed out on a top-two spot in their group, but would have been very confidence that their 4 point haul would be enough to earn them progression. This match-up sees players from the last two runners-up in the Women's Champions League - Wolfsburg and Barcelona.
Germany balance their super-attacking full backs Anna Blasse and Alexandra Popp with a solid defensive midfielder Nilla Fischer. She is one of four Scandinavians in the Germany team. Spain resist the temptation to go to a more defensive formation, sticking with the 4-2-3-1 that got them through the group stage. This is because the '3' is pretty fearsome: Toni Duggan, Jenni Hermoso and Lieke Martens.
First up, Jo Love for Scotland... sends Santiago the wrong way! (0-1)
Linda Motlhalo up first for RoW... powers it past Alexander! (1-1)
Leanne Ross, hoping to make amends for the own goal... does so emphatically! (1-2)
Shirley Cruz... scores! (2-2)
Next up is goalscorer Clare Shine... down the middle as Santiago dives to her left! (2-3)
Kumi Yokoyama, who had a quiet game after coming on as a sub... puts it away! (3-3)
Rachael Small... right into the top corner! (3-4)
RoW captain Érika... hits it low near Alexander, but far enough away for a goal! (4-4)
Nicola Doherty... puts it away confidently! (4-5)
So, Asisat Oshoala must score... and she does! (5-5)
So to sudden death...
Hayley Lauder... in off the underside of the crossbar! (5-6)
Monica... yet another great penalty! (6-6)
18-year old Jamie-Lee Napier is next for Scotland... right into the top corner! (6-7)
Andressinha... down the middle and in! (7-7)
Kelly Clark... just beyond Santiago! (7-8)
Poliana is the fourth RoW player who has to score... and she can't! Alexander makes her second penalty save of the game and Scotland have somehow battled through!
Final score: Rest of World 1-1 Scotland (7-8p)
Player of the match: Clare Shine
Wowee, what a match! And Scotland are somehow through to the semi-finals! And we've still got three games to go!
Germany vs Spain
Germany found winning their group very easy thanks to England's collapse - a collapse that was sparked by a 5-1 battering by Germany. Spain, meanwhile, may have missed out on a top-two spot in their group, but would have been very confidence that their 4 point haul would be enough to earn them progression. This match-up sees players from the last two runners-up in the Women's Champions League - Wolfsburg and Barcelona.
Germany balance their super-attacking full backs Anna Blasse and Alexandra Popp with a solid defensive midfielder Nilla Fischer. She is one of four Scandinavians in the Germany team. Spain resist the temptation to go to a more defensive formation, sticking with the 4-2-3-1 that got them through the group stage. This is because the '3' is pretty fearsome: Toni Duggan, Jenni Hermoso and Lieke Martens.
We go 18 minutes until the first shot of the game, an effort from Pernille Harder that is easily blocked. Spain's first chance is far better, as Duggan finds Martens running behind Popp. Her cross finds Andressa Alves, but the Brazilian's shot is straight at Almuth Schult. Germany are struggling for possession inside Spain's half, but when Caroline Graham Hansen is gifted possession by Silvia Meseguer she makes Spain pay, with a perfect low cross for Melanie Leupolz to tuck home! Despite over 60% possession at times, Spain cannot find a leveller before the break.
Leupolz nearly doubles her tally and Germany's lead straight after the restart, a low shot going narrowly wide. Following the goal kick Duggan dispossesses Kirstin Demann, but from a tough angle she hits the side netting. Spain continue to dominate possession, but they have only 5 shots by the time we go into added time. But their sixth brings a goal, as Vicky Losada's low cross is put away by Martens... but the flag is up! Replays suggest that Martens herself may be onside (FM has always struggled with the offside rule), but the decision stands... if only there was a way to correct decisions like these?
Germany are able to see out the remaining time, and they sure a maiden WDWC semi-final!
Final score: Germany 1-0 Spain
Player of the match: Verena Schweers
That wasn't a particularly good match, but it certainly had drama! Germany face Scotland in the next round for a chance to play in the final.
Italy vs Norway
USA's surprise draw against a weak Rest of Europe side allowed Italy to sneak up and take top spot in their group. Other than defeat against said USA side, they were pretty good in their group stage. Meanwhile, Norway somehow went through despite failing to win a match. However, they also failed to lose, and that's pretty impressive when you consider they took on Germany and England.
Italy go with Cristiana Girelli up front, supported by English pair Eni Aluko and Leanne Sanderson, with Italy's most dangerous player Barbara Bonansea on the left. Norway also go with a 4-2-3-1 shape, although they will be more defensive-oriented. And just like Italy, Norway's biggest threat is on the left flank, with Emilie Haavi.
Final score: Germany 1-0 Spain
Player of the match: Verena Schweers
That wasn't a particularly good match, but it certainly had drama! Germany face Scotland in the next round for a chance to play in the final.
Italy vs Norway
USA's surprise draw against a weak Rest of Europe side allowed Italy to sneak up and take top spot in their group. Other than defeat against said USA side, they were pretty good in their group stage. Meanwhile, Norway somehow went through despite failing to win a match. However, they also failed to lose, and that's pretty impressive when you consider they took on Germany and England.
Italy go with Cristiana Girelli up front, supported by English pair Eni Aluko and Leanne Sanderson, with Italy's most dangerous player Barbara Bonansea on the left. Norway also go with a 4-2-3-1 shape, although they will be more defensive-oriented. And just like Italy, Norway's biggest threat is on the left flank, with Emilie Haavi.
Italy make a strong start, and quickly earn a free kick right on the edge of the Norwegian box. Aluko stands over it... and dispatches it into the top corner! Italy maintain the pressure, with several half chances in the opening stages. Aluko nearly adds a second free kick, but is well denied by Cecilie Fiskerstrand. Four minutes later, and Aluko has another free kick... and she scores again! What a solo show!
It remains one-way traffic, as Sanderson has a header cleared off the line. Norway eventually get a handle on things and slow it down. However, just before the break Aluko picks the pocket of Ingrid Moe Wold and leads a foray forward. Her shot rebounds to Vanessa Bernauer, and she finds the bottom corner from the edge of the box! 3-0 at the interval, and surely game over already.
Norway pull Sherida Spitse back into defensive midfield, and it seems to work. At least, for 10 minutes. In the 55th minute Bernauer finds Aluko in the box with an excellent pass, and Aluko puts it away for a superb hat-trick. In the 68th minute Aluko has a free kick about 30 yards out. She doesn't shoot, but any Norwegian relief is soon forgotten when the ball comes to Laura Agard, who scores at the second attempt.
That puts Aluko on two assists (the rebound counted as one on FM), and she completes a second hat-trick in the 77th minute! However, it's at the wrong end - he challenge on Haavi sees the ball squirt forward to substitute Elise Thorsnes to poke home. Optimistically, she picks the ball out of the net and runs to the centre circle, but realistically Norway are just limiting the damage, and they see out the remainder of the game with no further goals conceded.
Final score: Italy 5-1 Norway
Player of the match: Eni Aluko
A very, very impressive performance from Italy, who will be full of confidence going into the semi-finals after that.
USA vs France
Pft, imagine USA and France meeting in the quarter-finals of a Women's World Cup... both sides had slightly disappointing group stages, as they slipped to second after dropping points in their final games.
There's no space for Christine Sinclair or Alex Morgan in the USA team, with Sam Kerr up front, supporting by Marta, Megan Rapinoe and Tobin Heath. The sad thing is that France's two key players - Dzsenifer Marozsan and Ada Hegerberg - are both missing from the real World Cup, in France.
That puts Aluko on two assists (the rebound counted as one on FM), and she completes a second hat-trick in the 77th minute! However, it's at the wrong end - he challenge on Haavi sees the ball squirt forward to substitute Elise Thorsnes to poke home. Optimistically, she picks the ball out of the net and runs to the centre circle, but realistically Norway are just limiting the damage, and they see out the remainder of the game with no further goals conceded.
Final score: Italy 5-1 Norway
Player of the match: Eni Aluko
A very, very impressive performance from Italy, who will be full of confidence going into the semi-finals after that.
USA vs France
Pft, imagine USA and France meeting in the quarter-finals of a Women's World Cup... both sides had slightly disappointing group stages, as they slipped to second after dropping points in their final games.
There's no space for Christine Sinclair or Alex Morgan in the USA team, with Sam Kerr up front, supporting by Marta, Megan Rapinoe and Tobin Heath. The sad thing is that France's two key players - Dzsenifer Marozsan and Ada Hegerberg - are both missing from the real World Cup, in France.
France assert themselves early on in proceedings. A throw-in on the left (taken by Lucy Bronze, for some reason) ends up with Amandine Henry. She sees that Shanice van de Sanden has slipped into space and plays it across, and van de Sanden's shot is into the bottom corner!
USA look very weak defending their flanks, and it costs them a second time, as Sakina Karchaoui's cross is headed in by Hegerberg for a 2-0 lead within quarter of an hour! But USA gather themselves, and they pull one back when Heath places a nice shot into the corner from a flowing counter-attack. This is shaping up to be a very good game...
In the 34th minute Julie Ertz heads on a long ball from Alyssa Naeher and it finds Kerr. She takes it beyond Kadeisha Buchanan with her first touch, then around Karchaoui, and fires a powerful shot home to level the game! A fantastic, fantastic goal! The crazy finally slows down, and we reach the break tantalisingly poised.
I guess this is what happens when there's so much world class attacking talent on display. USA quickly earn a corner. It's cleared as far as Becky Sauerbrunn, and her high cross is nodded in by Rapinoe to complete the comeback!
France nearly get back to all-square as Marozsan's close-range shot is brilliantly blocked by Naeher, as USA bring on Carli Lloyd for Marta and drop into a 4-3-3. France's problem is that three of their best players - Bronze, Marozsan and Eugénie Le Sommer - are their lowest-performing. However, they don't need them as in the 84th minute Karchaoui puts in another great cross, and van de Sanden meets it with another great finish - three all!
Four minutes later USA have a corner. French keeper Sarah Bouhaddi spills it, but USA sub Morgan can't get a shot away. She tees up Rapinoe, but her effort is clawed out of the corner by Bouhaddi, who then gets up to block Morgan's follow-up! It proves to be the last chance of normal time, as we face an extra 30 minutes!
France earn a free kick 30 seconds into the half. Karchaoui stands over it, and her cross is yet again perfection, it finds Hegerberg drifting into space at the far post and she heads France back into the lead!
USA respond with a Rapinoe shot that Bouhaddi holds. The France keeper hits it long and Hegerberg steals behind the USA defence, but her shot is saved by Naeher. USA come again and Lloyd crashes a shot into the woodwork. We're only five minutes into extra time! France ride the storm and get to the break in extra time ahead.
France nearly get back to all-square as Marozsan's close-range shot is brilliantly blocked by Naeher, as USA bring on Carli Lloyd for Marta and drop into a 4-3-3. France's problem is that three of their best players - Bronze, Marozsan and Eugénie Le Sommer - are their lowest-performing. However, they don't need them as in the 84th minute Karchaoui puts in another great cross, and van de Sanden meets it with another great finish - three all!
Four minutes later USA have a corner. French keeper Sarah Bouhaddi spills it, but USA sub Morgan can't get a shot away. She tees up Rapinoe, but her effort is clawed out of the corner by Bouhaddi, who then gets up to block Morgan's follow-up! It proves to be the last chance of normal time, as we face an extra 30 minutes!
France earn a free kick 30 seconds into the half. Karchaoui stands over it, and her cross is yet again perfection, it finds Hegerberg drifting into space at the far post and she heads France back into the lead!
USA respond with a Rapinoe shot that Bouhaddi holds. The France keeper hits it long and Hegerberg steals behind the USA defence, but her shot is saved by Naeher. USA come again and Lloyd crashes a shot into the woodwork. We're only five minutes into extra time! France ride the storm and get to the break in extra time ahead.
USA cannot get a foothold in the second half and France look to be edging towards victory. In the 116th minute a cross is cleared as far as Ertz, but her first-time shot is denied by the foot of the post! It proves to be their last chance, as France hold out for an epic victory!
Final score: USA 3-4 France
Player of the match: Ada Hegerberg
That match came down to the narrowest of margins, and it was just slightly better finishing that decided it. France do what no men's team have done, and reach the semi-finals as reigning champions. Once again, USA cannot live up to their favourites tag, but at least there's always next year.
So here is the draw following that crazy round!
Final score: USA 3-4 France
Player of the match: Ada Hegerberg
That match came down to the narrowest of margins, and it was just slightly better finishing that decided it. France do what no men's team have done, and reach the semi-finals as reigning champions. Once again, USA cannot live up to their favourites tag, but at least there's always next year.
So here is the draw following that crazy round!
We had an upset on penalties, a highly controversial win, a rout and an all-time classic. Surely the semi-finals can't live up to that? Of course, there's only one way to find out - join us next time!