The quarterfinal stage in the Paris Olympics is all set. It was all fun and games until the group stages as the real test begins now for the last eight sides. Concerning the first knockout stage, USWNT will be facing Japan at France’s very best, the iconic Parc des Princes this Saturday. Though fans have their own favorites, either side possesses the quality to progress to the last four.

Speaking of the USWNT, they are coming by curtaining an excellent group stage. The Star and Stripes ft. the ladies won all three Group B fixtures against Zambia (3-0), Germany (4-1), and Australia (2-1). Notching 9 goals and 9 points in three matches already makes them favorites to wear the gold. However, Emma Hayes would like to play this fixture by lowering the hype surrounding them.

Meanwhile, Japan managed to make a second-placed finish in Group C after Spain took the top spot to finish with six points. The Asian country came with a 3-1 win over Nigeria, managing to escape the risky qualification through which Brazil came into the quarters. Japan too had a mixed-bag group stage, having lost one and winning two matches.

USWNT vs Japan: Team news

Injuries

USWNT

Jaedyn Shaw still remains a rare sighting for the USWNT. The forward has missed all three group-stage matches after suffering a leg injury just before the opening clash during a training session. Croix Bethune remains her usual replacement but things took a double fold for USWNT, who also saw defender Tierna Davidson miss the Australia clash. Emma Hayes revealed earlier that the knee-on-knee collision saw her leg suffer a contusion, which increased the swelling.

It would be interesting to see if the English tactician will line up Davidson, or will again summon Emily Sonnett at the back. However, the key absentee for USWNT vs Japan will be Sam Coffey. The star midfielder will be forced to miss the clash to serve a one-match suspension after picking up her second consecutive yellow card in the previous fixture.

Japan

Futoshi Ikeda’s side will be looking to disrupt Team USA’s good mood. Japan has no major injury concerns, nor there are any suspension issues. Their eyes are set on a meeting that hasn’t happened since the 1980s. Both Japan and the USWNT faced off in the gold medal match at the 2012 London Olympics, with the Americans narrowly securing a 2-1 victory. Since then, Japan has not reached that level of success again, while for the USA, it marked the last time they stood at the top of the podium.

Predicted lineups

USWNT potential starting XI (4-3-3): Naeher; Fox, Girma, Davidson, Dunn; Lavelle, Horan, Sonnett; Rodman, Smith, Swanson

Japan potential starting XI (5-3-2): Yamashita; Moriya, Takahashi, Kumagai, Minami, Koga; Hasegawa, Nagano, Tanikawa; Ueki, Tanaka

Head-to-head stats and prediction

Total matches played: 8

Won by USWNT: 6

Won by Japan: 1

Draw: 1

This is certainly not the first time Japan and USWNT are facing each other on such a crucial stage. But their previous meetups have seen the American ladies coming out on top. Eventually, this fixture might become another day for the Samurai Blue ft. ladies to bow down in front of the Hayes-led side. We reckon the score will be USWNT 2-1 Japan.

How to watch USWNT vs Japan Paris Olympics 2024 on TV channels and livestream?

USWNT vs Japan will kick off at 15:00 CET on Saturday, August 3. Fans can catch the action live on USA and Telemundo TV channels. They can also stream the game live on Peacock.