Tokyo Olympics: Women's Football: Quarter-Finals review-Brazil, Netherlands, Great Britain, and hosts Japan crash out

Four Matches. Or rather, I would put it as four intense matches. Three favorites were knocked out. Two penalty shootouts. One crazy day of football at the Olympics.

Women's football at the Olympics has been no less than a roller coaster ride, and today it had more ups and downs than any other day. Three of the tournament favorites, Great Britain, Netherlands, and Brazil were knocked out either in extra time or penalty shootouts. Hosts nation Japan also suffered a major setback, as they crashed out to Sweden in an exciting encounter. Let us look at what happened today, at the quarter-finals.

Quarterfinal 1: Canada vs. Brazil

The Brazilians started their match very well and threatened to score in the early parts of the game, but the Canadians managed to hold them. The first half ended 0-0, the second half started slow but picked up the pace and hinted towards a lot of goals. The match lacked goals eventually, the keepers Labbe and Barbara were in no mood to concede, and the match ended without goals. Even both halves of extra time ended without goals.

The fortunes of both nations were to be decided on luck or, in footballing terms, penalty shootouts. Barbara saved the first spot-kick, as Brazil converted three out of three penalties to Canada's two out of three. Labbe had to save the fourth one to keep Canada in the game, and she did by saving to her left and kept score as 3-3, after four kicks. Canada scored their fifth, and it meant Brazil had to score to be in the game. Rafaelle stepped up but could not convert the last penalty, as her miss sent Canda to the semi-finals.

Quarterfinal 2: Great Britain vs. Australia

A hattrick from Ellen White was not enough as Great Britain were beaten by Australia 4-3 in extra time. Two goals from Samanta Kerr and Fowler in three minutes set the match for the Australians in extra time.

The match's turning point was when Weir missed a penalty in the 102nd minute for the British, and the Australians scored two goals just in the next three minutes to confirm their place in the semi-finals.

Quarterfinal 3: Sweden vs. Japan

The only match out of the four quarter-finals that ended in the regular 90 mins was between hosts Japan and Sweden. Goals from Ericcson, Blackstenius, and a penalty from Asllani comfortably sent Sweden in the last four of the Olympics in Tokyo.

Ericsson gave Sweden the lead in the 7th minute, but Japan equalized through Tanaka in the 23rd minute. The scores were even at halftime, but Sweden moved gears in the second half and scored two goals take the match away from the hosts.

Quarterfinal 4: Netherlands vs United States of America

The two tournament favorites collided in an exciting match in the quarter-finals it was the match everyone was looking forward to watching. Netherlands had scored 21 goals in the last three games while the USA did not look at its best.

The Dutch took an early lead in the 18th minute through Miedema, but the Americans struck back with two quick goals around the 30th-minute mark. Miedema got Netherlands level in the 54th minute, and the game ended 2-2. The two phases of extra-time also did not see any goals.

Penalties were again to decide the future of two countries. Alyssa Naeher was the star for the Americans, as she saved two penalties for them to take them to the next round of the tournament.

The USA take on Canada, while Sweden faces Australia in the semi-finals on 3rd August, in a fight to book to win the gold medal at the Olympics.