Post Round of 16 FIFA Women's World Cup power rankings

VAR. Spitting. VAR. A potential on-the-pitch strike. VAR. Extra time. VAR. A shootout. VAR. A pair of favorites dodging banana skins. Storylines and controversies from the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup Round of 16 entertained and angered, depending on points of view, and the quarterfinal matchup many desired ahead of the tournament is officially on the schedule. Odds are video replay will be on everyone's mind once that game concludes. Those who've followed the competition have no reason to expect differently.

Back on June 1, Team USA and France deserved to sit atop pre-tournament power rankings. That's not the case with the Round of 16 in the rearview mirror. Either France or the U.S. could leapfrog the new No. 1 by the time June 30 rolls around, but it's only fitting that power rankings for a European-dominated World Cup feature the continent's best team at the head of the pack with only three results separating one of the last eight from immortality.

8. Norway 

As Nick Schwartz of For the Win and Josh Thomas of Goal.com wrote, Norway's penalty shootout victory over Australia on Saturday wasn't without multiple controversial moments and decisions that went against the Matildas. The Grasshoppers won't care much about that. For the third straight World Cup game, Norway conceded in the final 20 minutes of standard time, and the fact that the victors couldn't put a second past Australia's leaky defense again brings to mind questions about where this side could be with Ballon d'Or winner Ada Hegerberg on the team. The duo of Maria Thorisdottir and Maren Mjelde, the tournament's "best defensive partnership" in the eyes of teammate Guro Reiten, per Amee Ruszkai of Goal.com, is now tasked with stonewalling an England attack still looking for its groove.

7. Sweden

Sweden is the Bizarro Holland — or maybe it's the other way around — in that The Blue and Yellow showcase a stellar defense but an attack that won't worry any of the best teams remaining in the competition. One can only guess what would've occurred on Monday had Canadian goalkeeper Stephanie Labbe not reacted poorly to a cross for the second consecutive game, a mistake that allowed Sweden's Stina Blackstenius to bury the match winner. If Germany opens the scoring before the 30th minute of the quarterfinal, that contest could get ugly in a hurry.

6. Netherlands

The crossbar, goalkeeper Sari van Veenendaal and a Lieke Martens brace bagged from the spot at the death guided the Netherlands past Japan on a day Holland was undeniably second-best throughout the final 45 minutes. Japan routinely penetrated the Dutch defense with clever combination play and created no fewer than three opportunities to put the Oranje to bed with better finishing inside the area well before a correctly awarded handball saved the European champions. It's no secret Holland is weak in defense. That's not changing before the conclusion of the World Cup. The inability to break Japan down with even a hint of inventiveness in attack after the halftime break should present Italy with additional belief the Azzurre can advance to the semifinals.

5. France

One word describes France following its last 210-plus minutes of football: unconvincing. For a significant period of the second half of Sunday's encounter, out-of-prime and end-of-cycle Brazil held an advantage and seemed the more likely of the two teams to break the deadlock. But the hosts willingly embraced extra time before captain Amandine Henry played hero and booked Les Bleues into the quarterfinals, where the United States and an impressive traveling support await. France was lucky to survive Brazil despite a lack of clinical finishing, particularly during the first half. Good luck achieving that vs. the USWNT.

4. Italy 

It's time to stop viewing the Azzurre as a nice World Cup story and begin seeing them as real contenders. Italy still hasn't conceded in open play since its tournament opener, a win over Australia, and its defense stifled China's Wang Shuang throughout Tuesday's 2-0 victory. Laura Giuliani was already responsible for arguably the tournament's best save before she made every necessary stop against the Steel Roses, and her defense rewarded her by evolving into an impenetrable force for the last half-hour of the match. What have you seen since the start of the World Cup to make you believe Italy absolutely can't blow past the Netherlands on June 29?

3. England 

After somewhat skating through the group stage, the Three Lionesses finally produced a true breakout performance vs. a lesser side, thrashing Cameroon 3-0 for a scoreline that actually flattered the Indomitable Lionesses considering they could've been down a few players by the end of stoppage time. Coach Phil Neville probably went a bit overboard with his post-match comments, made available by the BBC and other outlets, but one can't blame him for emotionally protecting his athletes. If he can bottle that rage and properly distribute it as a motivational tool among his squad, football may, indeed, come home. As the Mirror's Liam Prenderville wrote, England captain Steph Houghton, who scored the opener vs. Cameroon, is questionable for the clash with Norway after suffering an ankle injury late in Sunday's game.

2. United States 

The favorites failed to cover themselves in glory during Monday's 2-1 win over Spain, and there are legitimate reasons for USWNT fans to feel concerned ahead of Friday's game vs. France. Coach Jill Ellis keeping starters on the pitch in 90-degree heat for 85 minutes earned criticism from Sports Illustrated's Grant Wahl, let alone from supporters observing the match from the States. Alex Morgan appeared slowed by an injury she (allegedly) picked up in the win against Sweden, as CNN's Michelle Lou wrote. Pressure forced goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher into an avoidable miscue for the second time this tournament, but unlike when the Americans defeated Chile, no offside flag saved her.

With all of that said: breathe. The U.S. still possess the world's deepest squad, and the only goal the Americans surrendered in the tournament, to date, came off the type of giveaway one would commit while playing an edition of FIFA under the influence of one too many beverages enjoyed at a local establishment. Beating France, which is hardly a guaranteed result at the midweek, would put the Round of 16 out of mind.

1. Germany

Remember that these are World Cup power rankings and not a prediction of what is to come or which nation will be the last standing. After entering the knockout stages as the only country besides the United States to keep three clean sheets in group play, Germany routed Nigeria, an opponent that held France goalless other than from the spot, to the tune of 3-0. Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Sara Dabritz is in form, having scored in three consecutive matches, and Dzsenifer Marozsan, the three-time reigning UNFP Female Player of the Year who suffered a broken toe on June 8, returned to the bench. According to Agence France-Presse, the 27-year-old may be available for selection for the quarterfinal showdown with Sweden.