FOX Sports FIFA Women’s World Cup 2015 Morning Highlights – Wednesday, June 24

FOX Sports’ coverage of the FIFA WOMEN’S WORLD CUP 2015™ continues Thursday, June 25, with a special edition of FIFA WOMEN’S WORLD CUP TONIGHT at 12:00 AM ET on FOX Sports 1. See below for last night’s results and coverage highlights.

TUESDAY’S RESULTS
Japan def. Netherlands, 2-1, to advance to the quarterfinals

THURSDAY’S SCHEDULE
12:00 AM ET – FIFA WOMEN’S WORLD CUP TONIGHT, FOX Sports 1

QUARTERFINALS SCHEDULE (coverage begins)
Friday, June 26, FOX
3:00 PM ET – Germany vs. France
6:00 PM ET – China vs. USA

Saturday, June 27, FOX Sports 1 (coverage begins)
3:30 PM ET – Australia vs. Japan
6:00 PM ET – England vs. Canada

Leslie Osborne says Abby Wambach should have known better than to have suggested that the referee in the U.S.-Colombia match was targeting players with yellow cards:
“Abby’s got to know better. She’s had so much media training. She knows that they’re trying to get things out of her. She just said too much. Abby’s in her own head right now – there’s a lot going on in there. Abby, just close your mouth and do your job and move on.”

Canada goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc joined FIFA WOMEN’S WORLD CUP TONIGHT and talked about playing in a World Cup in her home country:
“You dream of playing in a World Cup as a child, but you don’t actually dream of having it in your home country.

“You get to open your eyes and see your friends and your family and stand on the field with your best friends and play a sport you love in front of a nation that’s inspired you for so many years. For us it’s beyond any dream we could’ve dreamt of, and it’s just been unreal.”

With the quarterfinals set, the FIFA WOMEN’S WORLD CUP TONIGHT analysts picked their brackets. Predicted winners and runners up are below:
Leslie Osborne: France over Japan
Angela Hucles: Germany over Australia
Monica Gonzalez: USA over Australia
Eric Wynalda: USA over Canada

Correspondent-at-large Grant Wahl reported that Morgan Brian is expected to replace Lauren Holiday in Friday’s U.S.-China match, and expects Christen Press will replace Megan Rapinoe:
“I don’t know if anybody can replace Megan Rapinoe right now, the way she’s playing for the U.S. My guess is that Christen Press will be the one to do that. That was Megan Rapinoe’s guess, but Jill Ellis was a little less clear at this point.”

Alexi Lalas praised Japan’s style of play in the team’s win over Netherlands:
“The way that Japan went out there today, it was artistic. It was beautiful, the way they painted this picture.

Within those 90 minutes, there was some absolutely beautiful play – not just the goals, but the way they possessed the ball; the understanding; the spacing; the technique. This was a fun game to watch.

Kelly Smith added:
“I was impressed with Japan tonight. It’s the best they’ve played. They were composed. They were entertaining. They know how to win games.”