Semifinal Matches

Today (Tuesday, June 30):

• 6:30 p.m. ET – USA vs. Germany (Montréal) on CTV/TSN/CTV GO/TSN GO/TSN Radio Network
• 11 p.m. ET – Canada 2015 Recap Show on TSN5/TSN GO

Match preview: Germany tops the world rankings, but USA is right behind them, having enjoyed lengthy spells as the top rank in the past as well. Germany has the most prolific attack in the competition with 20 goals, but the Stars and Stripes boast the tightest defense, having conceded just one goal – in the 27th minute of their opening match against Australia – a record only matched by already-eliminated Brazil. (Source: FIFA).

Tomorrow (Wednesday, July 1):

• 6:30 p.m. ET – Japan vs. England (Edmonton) on CTV/TSN/CTV GO/TSN GO/TSN Radio Network
• 11 p.m. ET – Canada 2015 Recap Show on TSN5/TSN GO

Match preview: In contrast to Tuesday’s semifinal between the world’s two highest ranked teams, Wednesday’s second semifinal pits together two nations with vastly differing records at this level. 2011 champions Japan will start as favourites in most people’s eyes, while standing in their way of a second successive final appearance is England, a newcomer to this stage of the competition. (Source: FIFA)

Tuesday Game Day Notes

USA vs. Germany (Montréal) – 6:30 p.m. ET on CTV/TSN/CTV GO/TSN GO/TSN Radio Network

DOWNLOAD: http://bmpr.ca/1LSLOzg 

• The winner of this game will play the winner of Japan vs. England in the final in Vancouver on Sunday, July 5
• The loser of this game will play the loser of Japan vs. England in the match for third place in Edmonton on Saturday, July 4
• USA and Germany have met three times at the FIFA Women's World Cup. In 2003, Germany beat USA 3-0 in the semifinals. In 1999, USA beat Germany 3-2 in quarter-finals. In 1991, USA beat Germany 5-2 in the semifinals.
• This is the fourth time USA and Germany have met in the FIFA Women's World Cup, tying the record for most all-time matchups
• The winner of this game will set a record for most appearances in a FIFA Women's World Cup final. Both have played in three finals so far

USA

• Won quarter-final game 1-0 against China PR in Ottawa
• Won Round of 16 game 2-0 against Colombia in Edmonton
• Finished first in Group D with seven points
• Beat Nigeria 1-0 in their third group match in Vancouver
• Tied second game of the tournament 0-0 against Sweden in Winnipeg
• Beat Australia 3-1 in their first game of the tournament in Winnipeg
• Goals scored so far: Carli Lloyd (two), Megan Rapinoe (two), Alex Morgan (one), Abby Wambach (one), Christen Press (one)
• Carli Lloyd scored her goal in the quarter-final game against China PR in her 200th cap
• Carried zero yellow cards into the semifinals. All teams start with zero yellow cards in the semifinals
• USA has conceded only one goal in the tournament so far, the least of any of the remaining teams. Lisa De Vanna (AUS) scored the only goal against the USA in the 27^th minute of the Americans' first game of the tournament
• Set to play their 42^nd FIFA Women’s World Cup match, an ongoing record
• When Hope Solo started against Colombia, she played her 174^th She now holds the USA record for caps for a goalkeeper, having surpassed Briana Scurry.
• Christie Rampone became the oldest player to play a game in the FIFA Women's World Cup when she came on the field in the 80^th minute against Nigeria in her 307^th cap
• Christie Rampone is only remaining player of the team that won the FIFA Women's World Cup in 1999
• Abby Wambach needs two goals to become the all-time leading goal scorer at the FIFA Women’s World Cup. She currently has 14. Marta (BRA) has 15 goals, with retired Birgit Prinz (GER) on 14. Wambach had the opportunity to score her 15^th career goal against Colombia, but missed a penalty kick.
• USA has lost only one FIFA Women’s World Cup group stage game (2-1 loss to Sweden in 2011)
• Reached the semifinals in all six prior FIFA Women's World Cups
• Played in every FIFA Women's World Cup
• Hosted FIFA Women's World Cup in 1999 and  2003
• Won FIFA Women's World Cup in 1991 and 1999
• Four-time winners of Olympic gold: 1996, 2004, 2008, and 2012
• Abby Wambach was nominated for 2014 FIFA Women's World Player of the Year
• Only team to host and win the FIFA Women's World Cup in the same year, 1999
• FIFA world ranking: 2

Germany

• Won quarter-final game in a penalty shootout over France in Montréal. The score after regulation time was 1-1 and it stayed that way after added time
• Won Round of 16 game 4-1 over Sweden in Ottawa
• Finished first in Group B with seven points
• Beat Thailand 4-0 in their third group stage game in Winnipeg
• Tied Norway 1-1 in their second group stage game in Ottawa
• Beat Côte d’Ivoire 10-0 in their opening game of the tournament in Ottawa
• Carried zero yellow cards into the semifinals. All teams start with zero yellow cards in the semifinals.
• Germany has scored the most goals of any team in the tournament so far: 20. The record for most goals in one FIFA Women's World Cup is 25, held by Germany (2003) and USA (1991).
• Goals scored so far: Celia Sasic (six), Anja Mittag (five), Lena Petermann (two), Sara Daebritz (two), Simone Laudehr (one), Melanie Behringer (one), Dzsenifer Marozsan (one), Melanie Leupolz (one), Alexandra Popp (one)
• Celia Sasic has now scored six goals at the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, leading the Golden Boot standings with the most of any player in this year's tournament so far. The record for most goals in one tournament is Michelle Akers (USA) with 10 in 1991.
• Germany scored the most goals in the group stage: 15
• Germany had the most shots on goal in the group stage: 41
• Celia Sasic scored a hat trick against Côte d’Ivoire
• Anja Mittag also scored a hat trick against Côte d’Ivoire
• Just the third time in FIFA Women's World Cup history that teammates recorded hat tricks in the same game
• Germany keeper Nadine Angerer has nine clean sheets, tied for second all-time. If she doesn't get scored on today, she will tie Briana Scurry (USA) for most all-time.
• Silvia Neid coached her 15^th FIFA Women's World Cup game in the match against France, moving ahead of Marika Domanski-Lyfors (SWE) into second place for most games coached all-time. Only Even Pellerud NOR (25) has coached more FIFA Women's World Cup games.
• Only team to have won the FIFA Women's World Cup twice in a row, in 2003 and 2007. On both occasions, Germany led the group stage in goals scored, as they do in 2015.
• Played in every FIFA Women's World Cup
• Germany has reached the semifinals in four of the previous six tournaments
• Hosted FIFA Women's World Cup in 2011 and were eliminated in the first knockout stage game by eventual champions Japan
• Germany's biggest win at a FIFA Women's World Cup is 11-0 against Argentina in 2007. It was the opening game of the tournament that year.
• Won all 10 games in 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup qualifying, scoring 62 goals and conceding only four
• Nadine Kessler was named 2014 FIFA Women's World Player of the Year. However, she didn't make the roster due to an injury.
• Nadine Angerer was nominated for 2014 FIFA Women's World Player of the Year. She won the award in 2013.
• Head coach Silvia Neid finished second with Germany as a player in the 1995 FIFA Women's World Cup
• FIFA World Ranking: 1

Wednesday Game Day Notes

Japan vs. England (Edmonton) – 6:30 p.m. ET on CTV/TSN/CTV GO/TSN GO/TSN Radio Network

DOWNLOAD: http://bmpr.ca/1U46cTE 

• The winner of this game will play the winner of Germany vs. France in the final in Vancouver on Sunday, July 5
• The loser of this game will play the loser of Germany vs. France in the match for third place in Edmonton on Saturday, July 4
• Japan and England have met twice in the FIFA Women's World Cup. England won their group stage game 2-0 at the 2011 tournament, and was the only team to beat Japan in 2011, as they went on to win the title. The two teams also met in the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup and tied 2-2 in the group stage.

Japan

• Won quarter-final game 1-0 over Australia in Edmonton
• Won Round of 16 game 2-1 over Netherlands in Vancouver
• Finished first place in Group C with nine points
• Won third group stage game 1-0 over Ecuador in Winnipeg
• Won second group stage game 2-1 over Cameroon in Vancouver
• Won opening group game 1-0 over Switzerland in Vancouver
• Carried zero yellow cards into the semifinals. All teams start with zero yellow cards in the semifinals.
• Goals scored so far: Aya Sameshima (one), Aya Miyama (one), Yuika Sugasawa (one), Yuki Ogimi (one), Mizuho Sakaguchi (one), Saori Ariyoshi (one), Mana Iwabuchi (one)
• Mana Iwabuchi scored in the quarter-final win against Australia. Going into that game, Iwabuchi had only played 34 minutes in two games at the tournament
• Japan is the only remaining team with a perfect record of five wins
• Japan is the only team to have played all 23 players on the roster in the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup
• Japan has played three of their five games in Vancouver
• Reigning FIFA Women's World Cup champion
• In five of the six previous FIFA Women's World Cups, the defending champions have advanced to the semifinals
• Japan played four debutants in its four first matches in this tournament
• Japan and Brazil were the only teams to win all three of their opening round matches
• On her 200^th senior international cap, Homare Sawa became the first player to feature at six FIFA Women's World Cup finals (Brazil’s Formiga equalled the feat a day later)
• Will be without forward Kozue Ando for the remainder of the tournament after she fractured her ankle in the opening game
• Beat USA in 2011 final in penalty kick shootout
• Lost to USA in London 2012 Olympic Games final
• Reigning Asian Football Confederation (AFC) champion
• Only AFC team to have won the FIFA Women's World Cup
• Only AFC team to have participated in all seven editions of the FIFA Women's World Cup
• Aya Miyama and Nahomi Kawasumi were nominated for 2014 FIFA Women's World Player of the Year
• FIFA world ranking: 4

England

• Won quarter-final game 2-1 over Canada in Vancouver
• Won Round of 16 game 2-1 over Norway in Ottawa
• Finished second in Group F with six points
• Beat Colombia 2-1 in their final group stage game in Montréal
• Beat Mexico 2-1 in their second group stage game in Moncton
• Lost their opening match 1-0 to France in Moncton
• Carried zero yellow cards into the semifinals. All teams start with zero yellow cards in the semifinals.
• Goals scored so far: Lucy Bronze (two), Jodie Taylor (one), Karen Carney (two), Fara Williams (one), Steph Houghton (one), Fran Kirby (one)
• With her goal against Canada, Lucy Bronze became the first English player to score more than one goal in the knockout stage of a FIFA Women's World Cup. She has two: the other goal was scored in the 2-1 win over Norway in the Round of 16.
• Jodie Taylor also scored against Canada. Prior to the Canada-England match, Taylor had only played 36 minutes in the tournament
• England lost its opening game of the tournament, but has won every match since
• Fourth appearance in the FIFA Women’s World Cup (previously in 1995, 2007, and 2011)
• The win over Norway in this year's Round of 16 game was England's first-ever win in a knockout stage game
• Before the win over Norway, England had never beaten European opposition at the FIFA Women's World Cup
• In Germany 2011, England was the only team to beat tournament winners Japan
• England won all 10 of their group matches while qualifying for the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup
• England was best newcomer in the 1995 tournament in Sweden
• FIFA world ranking: 6