- Updates from the round of 16 game in Sydney
- Kick-off is at midday AEST/3am BST
- Any thoughts? Email or tweet @mike_hytner
Hello and welcome once again. Here we are then, the knockout rounds, do-or-die, win-or-bust time. The field has already lost two runners after yesterday’s opening round of 16 matches – Switzerland bowed out, emphatically so, while Norway also said their goodbyes – and another two will follow today. Fascinatingly, one of those will be the world No 1 USA or world No 3 Sweden when they meet later on in Melbourne, but for now our focus is very much on Sydney, where the impressive Netherlands meet South Africa, who have delivered one of the stories of the tournament so far.
The Dutch qualified top of their Group E, above the aforementioned US, and signed off from the group stage with a 7-0 tonking of Vietnam, while Banyana Banyana went through thanks to an incredible last-gasp winner against Italy, in a victory that has been labelled as a historic moment for the women’s game in South Africa. More on that in a bit.
