Even though it's only the quarterfinals, today's game between the U.S. and France is most likely to be one of the most exciting matches of the Women's World Cup. That's because the U.S. and France are ranked No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, in the tournament, and one of these two teams is most likely to hoist the cup.
"I hope it's just a total s---show circus,” said Megan Rapinoe, the captain of the U.S. team. "I think this is what everyone wants to see and these are the biggest games you dream about as a kid."
Here's everything you need to know about today's matchup.
When does the U.S. Women's soccer team play France?
The women's team will play France today (June 28) at 3 p.m. ET. The game will be aired on Fox and FS1 in English, and on Telemundo and Universo in Spanish. You can stream the game on FS1.
How they got here
The U.S. Women’s team went 3-0 in group play, defeating Sweden, Chile and Thailand, scoring 18 goals and conceding none. In the Round of 16, the U.S. defeated Spain 2-1.
France also went undefeated in group play, beating Norway, Nigeria and South Korea; France scored a total of seven goals and gave up only one. In the Round of 16, France defeated Brazil 2-1.
What are the odds of the U.S. Women's team beating France?
France could prove to be a tough draw for the U.S. Of the teams remaining, France is the second-strongest, with a 22 percent chance of winning the Women's World Cup, according to FiveThirtyEight. The site calculates the U.S. odds of beating France at 54%.
According to Fanduel, the U.S. is a +125 money line favorite, with France the underdog at +220. Oddsmakers also expect the match to be won in regulation time, as a draw is also listed at +220.
How can I watch the U.S. vs. France?
Fox has the exclusive rights to the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup in the U.S., and airs the games on its Fox broadcast channel as well as on its FS1 cable channel. (A handful of games are airing on FS2.) Any time the U.S. women play, you can bet the game will be broadcast on Fox, and the match against France is no exception.
Fox isn't the only broadcaster in the U.S. carrying the Women's World Cup, though. Telemundo has the Spanish-language broadcast rights in this country. And the U.S.-France match airs on Telemundo. Other matches air on the broadcaster's cable channel Telemundo Deportes.
How do I use a VPN to watch the U.S. vs. France?
If you're traveling outside the country, but don't want to miss the match, a virtual private network, or VPN, could be an ideal choice. Actually choosing a service could be a challenge, but fortunately, we've tested many different offerings to find out who offers the best VPN. Our top pick is ExpressVPN, which offers superb speeds that will meet the needs of most users, but you've got other options as well.
ExpressVPN: Our favorite VPN service, ExpressVPN costs as little as $6.77 per month if you sign up for a one-year contract, and there's a 30-day money-back guarantee. If you just need ExpressVPN for the month that the Women's World Cup is on, it's $12.95.
NordVPN: Cheap and secure, NordVPN is just $2.99/month for a three-year contract, while a month of service costs $11.95. NordVPN uses 2048-bit encryption, and makes it easy to use streaming services.
TunnelBear: Performance is just average, but this is one of the simpler VPNs out there, and at $9.99 for one month of service, TunnelBear is a lower-cost option if you just want to use the VPN during the month-long World Cup festivities.
How can I watch the U.S. vs. France without a cable subscription?
If you've cut the cord, an HDTV antenna will let you pick up the signal from your local Fox or Telemundo affiliate. But if you're not going to be near a TV, you still have some options.
Fox does stream the games on its Fox Sports Go website and mobile apps (Android, iOS), but you'll need to login with your cable credentials. The same is true for the Telemundo Deportes app for Android and iOS. So that's not going to be an option if you've dropped your cable or satellite TV subscription.
You can try turning to an over-the-top service for streaming the U.S.-France match. And since the packages we've included below include FS1, you can watch other games in the tournament, too. Just make sure the service you opt for carries your local Fox affiliate; not every service does.
These services can hook you up with World Cup coverage during the next month.
DirecTV Now: DirecTV Now is a handy streaming service that includes a variety of channels, including Fox and FS1. It starts at $50 per month for 45 channels, including HBO.
Hulu + Live TV: Hulu's Live TV package will set you back $45 per month for 60 channels. (FS1 and Fox are part of that mix.) Best of all, you can record up to 50 hours of programming to Hulu's cloud DVR, so you can record the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup and come back to the game at another time.
FuboTV: FuboTV offers a nice selection of sports content — including Fox and FS1 — as well as standard content across genres. It costs $55 per month, and comes with a personal cloud DVR that holds 30 hours of recordings; you can extend that to 500 hours for $10 per month.
Playstation Vue: With a $45-a-month PlayStation Vue subscription, you can stream Fox and FS1 through the service's Access tier, which is the entry-level package from PlayStation.
SlingTV: This isn't really an option, since Sling doesn't include local channels. But if you're looking for a way to catch the remaining matches that will be on pay services, Sling's Blue tier does include FS1, and a current promotion is knocking 40% off the normal $25 monthly rate, so you'd just pay $15 for SlingTV.
YouTube TV: The $50-a-month YouTube TV has more than 70 channels that make it easy to watch the programming you want. And since it comes with Fox and FS1, you'll be able watch the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup without trouble. YouTube TV also features unlimited cloud DVR storage, so you can watch games at a later date.
Three things to watch
Alex Morgan
Morgan, the top striker for the U.S., knotted a record five goals against Thailand, but has been held scoreless since. Part of the reason was an injury sustained in the match against Sweden, followed by an aggressive Spanish defense in the following game, where Morgan was fouled five times.
The heat
Temperatures are expected to soar to 92 degrees Fahrenheit in Paris on Friday. Look for players to cramp up due to dehydration, and there's a good chance both sides will use all of their subs to replace exhausted players. It could be worse: Temperatures might reach 100 on Saturday. If the temperatures hit 90 degrees inside the stadium, officials will institute three-minute cooling breaks at the 30th and 75th minute of the match.
VAR
Short for Video Assistant Referee, this new technology has resulted in some controversial rulings, most notably because of a rule change that requires goalkeepers to keep at least one foot on the goal line. During both France's 1-0 win over Nigeria and Argentina's 3-3 tie with Scotland, VAR determined that goalies had stepped off the line, resulting in a re-kick. Hopefully, it will not be a factor in this game.
Who will they play next?
The winner of the U.S.-France game will advance to the semifinals, where they’ll face the winner of the Norway-England match on July 2 at 3 p.m. ET.
