The prospects of all 12 teams involved in the Women's Olympic Football Tournament Rio 2016 should become somewhat clearer on Saturday. Games will be taking place all over Brazil, several of which could well prove decisive. FIFA.compreviews the action.
Match of the day*USA-France, 6 August, 17:00 (local time) *An encounter that would be worthy of the final of any major competition. For the time being, though, it is 'only' a battle for supremacy in Group G at the Women's Olympic Football Tournament Rio 2016. The two teams both began their campaigns with convincing victories – USA beat New Zealand 2-0 and France thrashed Colombia 4-0 – and now lock horns with each looking to take firm control of the group. Three points for either side would put the winners in pole position to progress to the quarter-finals.
The other matchesAfter losing out in their first games, South Africa and China PR are both intent on bouncing back in order to get their hopes of qualifying for the next round back on track. Meanwhile, at the top of Group E, Marta's Brazil are up against a Sweden side full of familiar faces for the star, who has spent the last four years plying her trade in the Scandinavian country and enjoyed a previous stint there between 2004 and 2009.
In Group F, Canada will be brimming with confidence going into their meeting with Zimbabwe. The Canucks dispatched Australia in impressive style last time out, coping admirably with having to operate at a numerical disadvantage for nearly 70 minutes following the sending-off of Shelina Zadorsky, who is now suspended for this fixture. The Africans, on the other hand, will be in a rather less bullish mood following their drubbing at the hands of Germany. The Germans, for their part, gear up to take on the Matildas* *– who disappointed against Canada – ruing the absence of Simone Laudehr, but buoyed by the way in which they overcame her injury to brush aside the Zimbabweans.
Lastly, Colombia and New Zealand meet in Belo Horizonte bidding to kick-start their respective challenges after opening defeats. With the two best third-place finishers also reaching the quarter-finals, there is everything still to play for.
Player to watch*Christine Sinclair (Canada) *After scoring and bagging an assist in Canada's Rio 2016 opener against Australia, the evergreen attacker – whose 163 goals make her the second most prolific player in women's international football history, behind only Abby Wambach (184) – will fancy her chances of further adding to her tally and inching closer to the American against Zimbabwe. The Africans' defence proved alarmingly porous in their 6-1 defeat by Germany and they will have to improve on this front if they are to keep Sinclair and Co at bay.
The stat13 – The number of Olympic goals racked up by Cristiane, following the Brazilian's strike against China PR on Tuesday. No one has scored more.
The words"A final on Saturday? We're very wary, because we've got New Zealand afterwards and we remember only scraping past them 2-1 in a friendly in Laval. We don't see it as a final, but rather as an important match in which we need to come away with at least a point to give ourselves some breathing room."* *France coach Philippe Bergeroo
Match schedule*Group E *South Africa-China PR (Olympic Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, 19:00) Brazil-Sweden (Olympic Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, 22:00)
Group F Canada-Zimbabwe (Corinthians Arena, Sao Paulo, 15:00) Germany-Australia (Corinthians Arena, Sao Paulo, 18:00)
Group G USA-France (Mineirao, Belo Horizonte, 17:00) Colombia-New Zealand (Mineirao, Belo Horizonte, 22:00)
(All times local)