Women’s World Cup schedule: Start times for every match and scores

Group play is over at the Women’s World Cup — it’s time for the knockout rounds.

The United States, one of 16 teams that have advanced out of group play, looks to overcome a somewhat lackluster run over the first week of the tournament as it tries to a win an unprecedented third consecutive World Cup title. Playing in the most competitive Women’s World Cup field ever, the U.S. will face a tough challenge against Sweden in the round of 16. Potential showdowns with England and the Netherlands also loom beyond Sunday.

“It’s our responsibility to find the next step, to find the next 1% to push the team forward and keep this team up front,” U.S. manager Vlatko Andonovski said before the start of the tournament. Here’s a look at what comes next at the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand:

ROUND OF 16

England’s Lauren James, right, celebrates with teammate Ella Toone after scoring against Denmark at the Women’s World Cup on July 28.

(Sophie Ralph / Associated Press)

The buzz: England, the reigning European champion, came into this tournament as a favorite and it has done nothing to tarnish that pedigree, never trailing in its three group-stage wins.

Although the Lionesses took a while to get on track, beating Haiti and Denmark by identical 1-0 scores, they demolished China 6-1 in their last game, taking 14 of their 17 shots from inside the penalty area.

Lauren James scored twice in that one and has three goals in the tournament. She also has three assists, giving her a hand in six of England’s eight goals.

Nigeria has already knocked off one pre-World Cup favorite, beating Australia 3-2 in group play. It also played Canada to a scoreless draw, a result that had a lot to do with the group-stage exit by the reigning Olympic champions. Goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie has pitched two shutouts in three games for Nigeria, which is playing in the knockout rounds of a World Cup for the first time this century.

Australia teammates Sam Kerr, from left, Emily Van Egmond and Caitlin Foord celebrate after a Women’s World Cup win over Canada on July 31.

(Hamish Blair / Associated Press)

The buzz: Australia is expected to get captain and leading scorer Sam Kerr back from the calf injury that sidelined her through the group stage, though the 10th-ranked Matildas didn’t seem to miss her much in their 4-0 win over Canada in the group-stage finale.

That victory, behind two first-half goals from Hayley Raso, righted a ship that appeared to be sinking after a nail-biter with Ireland and a loss to Nigeria. Australia has made it to the quarterfinals of the World Cup in three of the last four tournaments, and a win here would send it back there again. No. 13

Denmark, which hasn’t gotten this far in a World Cup since 1995, has done just enough to get by, beating China 1-0 on Amalie Vangsgaard’s goal in the 90th minute, then advancing with a 2-0 win over Haiti on a penalty kick and a goal 10 minutes into stoppage time.

A look at the Women’s World Cup matchups scheduled for Tuesday (all times Pacific):

Jamaica goalkeeper Rebecca Spencer corrals the ball during a match against France on July 23.

(Rick Rycroft / Associated Press)

The buzz: Jamaican keeper Rebecca Spencer didn’t allow a goal in group play, and the Reggae Girlz needed every one of her 17 saves since they’ve scored just one goal of their own, playing to scoreless draws against France and Brazil.

Unbeaten Jamaica (1-0-2) is the first Caribbean country to reach the knockout rounds of a Women’s World Cup and it got there thanks to a GoFundMe campaign that helped it prepare for the tournament. Of the six CONCACAF teams to start the World Cup, only the U.S. and Jamaica remain.

And with Jamaica advancing from its group instead of Brazil, Colombia (2-1-0) is the only South American team left. It beat Germany and South Korea behind electric teenage attacker Linda Caicedo, but in the round of 16 it will be without defender Manuela Vanegas, who scored the game-winner against Germany in stoppage time. Vanegas is suspended because of too many yellow cards.

Morocco’s Nouhaila Benzina, right, challenges Colombia’s Linda Caicedo for the ball during a group match on Thursday.

(Gary Day / Associated Press)

The buzz: Eight months after Morocco became the first Arab country to reach the quarterfinals of a men’s World Cup, its women’s team became the first from an Arab country to reach the round of 16. And center back Nouhaila Benzina became the first woman to wear a hijab in a World Cup game.

But Benzina should be remembered for more than that. After watching her team’s opening 6-0 loss to Germany from the bench, she started the next two games in central defense and Morocco (2-1-0) did not allow a goal, beating South Korea and Colombia by identical 1-0 scores.

As with the men’s team, many of Morocco’s women were born in Europe, with seven claiming French citizenship. The men wound up being eliminated by France in the semifinals; the women, World Cup debutantes, get the unbeaten French (2-0-1) right out of the box.

Les Bleues entered the tournament among the favorites and after scoring just twice in their first two games — a scoreless draw with Jamaica and a nailbiting, 2-1 win over Brazil — they exploded with five unanswered goals to rout Panama behind a hat trick from Kadidiatou Diani.