For the rest of the tournament. you play until somebody wins or loses. If the score is tied after 90 minutes plus stoppage time. you get 30 more minutes plus stoppage time to break the deadlock. If it's still tied after that, a penalty kick shootout to determine who moves on.
The FIFA number four ranked USA is one of those sixteen teams. They survived the 'Group Of Death' and advanced as the Group D winner. By winning the group, they now reap the rewards of a less difficult road to the July 5 final in Vancouver.
But one of the burning questions in the inquiring minds of Team USA fans is are the struggles they've had generating offense lately over now that Alex Morgan is back in the lineup and getting her match fitness level back?
As long as they play defense the way they have been over the last three matches, all they need is to generate just enough offense to carry the day. Hope Solo has been brilliant as usual in net, and is working on 243 minutes and counting in not allowing an opposing team's shot to pass her and enter the goal.
So Team USA is acutely aware of the fact they can't fall asleep against this team. Abby Wambach is probably more motivated than anyone else on Team USA to deliver some personal payback after she got sucker punched by Lady Andrade during the waning moments of a 3-0 USA win a 2012 Olympic tournament group match play.
The knockout round starts June 20, and it will be interesting to see how it plays out.
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