WIDE-OPEN WORLD CUP

AUCKLAND, New Zealand—Brazil and Canada are out. Same for Italy and Germany, all powerhouse teams already eliminated from the Women’s World Cup following shocking upsets in group play.

The United States, meanwhile, hardly looks as dominant as it did in winning the last two consecutive titles.

The round of 16 begins Saturday in what’s now a wide-open World Cup with plenty of underdogs still in contention. Morocco, ranked 72nd in the world and in the tournament for the first time, used an unbelievable upset over Colombia to advance.

South Africa made it through to the round of 16 for the first time in its history, and same for Jamaica, which needed a GoFundMe campaign to afford the travel to the tournament. Nigeria is through for the first time since 1999, while Colombia and its 18-year-old star Linda Caicedo made it to the round of 16 for the second time in team history and just four years after it failed to qualify for the tournament.

There are plenty of heavyweights still in play, but one will be eliminated Sunday when the top-ranked United States plays third-ranked Sweden. Australia, England, Denmark, France,

2019 runner-up the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, and Switzerland all advanced, and Japan just might be the new favorite after scoring 11 goals in three group-stage wins.

The knockout round kicks off Saturday when Switzerland plays Spain in Auckland, and Norway faces Japan in the New Zealand capital of Wellington.

SWITZERLAND-SPAIN

SWITZERLAND quietly won Group A with two scoreless draws and a 2-0 victory over the Philippines, which was playing in its first World Cup.

The Swiss have now drawn seven of their last 10 international matches, and in this World Cup, they are one of only three teams yet to concede a goal. The Swiss defense has been exceptional, but La Nati have never advanced to the quarterfinals of a major tournament.

Switzerland failed to qualify for six of the previous eight World Cups, and didn’t enter in 1995. The Swiss reached the round of 16 in 2015, their only previous appearance in the World Cup.

We played very well in our group stage and we understand that Spain might be the favorites,” said Switzerland coach Inka Grings. Spain, meanwhile, looked to be a top contender for the title following a 3-0 win over Costa Rica and a