By the time Saturday's action concludes at the 2015 Women's World Cup, two countries will have earned their place in the quarterfinals.
The round of 16 began Saturday, with Germany and Sweden squaring off and China vs. Cameroon to follow.
The matchup between the Germans and Swedes was by far the most anticipated fixture of the day. Germany are first in the FIFA rankings, with Sweden just behind in fifth. Either team is capable of winning the tournament, so a round-of-16 exit would be a massive disappointment for the loser.
For China and Cameroon, simply reaching the round of 16 was a major accomplishment. The Chinese were a powerhouse during the 1990s and early 2000s, but they didn't even qualify for the 2011 Women's World Cup and have generally fallen on hard times. Meanwhile, this is the Cameroonians' first Women's World Cup appearance.
Here's a look at Saturday's results, followed by brief recaps from each match.
Saturday Results
Saturday Recap
Germany Pull Away from Sweden in Second Half
Germany had a few nervy moments Saturday against Sweden but eventually sealed passage to the quarterfinals with a 4-1 victory.
Anja Mittag put the Germans ahead 1-0 in the 24th minute. The Swedish defense gave Mittag way too much time and space outside the 18-yard box, and she curled a low shot into the bottom right corner.
ESPN's Julie Foudy was critical of Swedish defender Nilla Fischer on the goal:
Mittag has been one of Germany's best attackers all tournament. According to ESPN Stats & Info's Paul Carr, she became the third German to score five goals at one Women's World Cup.
Mittag found herself front and center again in the 35th minute as Amanda Ilestedt brought her down in the box. The official awarded a penalty, one the German forward didn't seem to ask for, per Linda Eriksson of Women's Soccer Zone:
The 30-year-old confirmed after the match that the penalty decision was somewhat fortuitous for her team (via Eriksson):
Celia Sasic stepped up to the spot and slotted home the penalty kick, giving Germany a 2-0 lead.
The game remained 2-0 for much of the second half.
In the 78th minute, Sasic found herself in the right place at the right time. Simone Laudehr's shot deflected off Fischer, caromed off the post and bounced right into the path of Sasic, who calmly headed in the ball from close range.
Dan Lauletta of Equalizer Soccer thought the individual battle between Sasic and Mittag, who both lead the tournament with five goals, provided the most fun in a one-sided match:
Linda Sembrant made things interesting with a goal for Sweden in the 82nd minute, but Dzsenifer Marozsan removed any doubt with an 88th-minute goal to put Germany 4-1 to the good.
Crashing out in the round of 16 isn't what Pia Sundhage had in mind for her native Sweden when she took over as coach. According to Sports Illustrated's Grant Wahl, she may already be on the move to another job:
For Germany, Saturday's win was simply affirmation for how good the squad is.
They could have a stern test in the quarterfinals, though. The Germans will get either France or South Korea. Should the French advance, they'll present a major hurdle for Germany on the road to the semifinals.
China Edge out Cameroon in 1-0 Win
A 12th-minute goal from Wang Shanshan was all China needed to get past Cameroon Saturday.
The goal came on a corner for the Chinese. Wang Lisi delivered in the ball, which fell to Li Dongna. Li had ample space to find Wang Shanshan, who quickly fired home a volley into the bottom right corner. Cameroon's marking for the corner was rather poor, with Li completely left all alone when she collected the ball.
Cameroon looked like they'd be able to find an equalizer. China was having a hard time dealing with the pace in the Cameroonian attack. NBC Sports' Jeff Kassouf thought the Chinese were also vulnerable to the counter:
Gaelle Enganamouit has become a bit of a cult hero for her performance in Canada, and the 23-year-old was one of Cameroon's best players going forward. Bleacher Report's Andrew Gibney didn't see any hesitation from Enganamouit when she had the ball at her feet close to goal:
In the end, she and her team couldn't unlock a Chinese defense that has been excellent for much of the tournament. Just ask Canada and the Netherlands how difficult China can be to break down.
The winners will play the United States or Colombia in the quarterfinals. China will almost certainly hope Colombia prevails since the Americans are one of the strongest teams in the World cup.
Cameroon's World Cup ended Saturday, but the team had a promising maiden voyage in the tournament. The talent is there for Cameroon, and the experience their players gained from this year's event will prove invaluable when the country begins qualifying for 2019.
Follow @JosephZucker on Twitter.
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