A Player's Eye View of the Women's World Cup

(This article originally appeared on VICE Sports UK)

Arsenal Ladies striker Chi Ubogagu is a past United States youth international who helped her country to victory in the 2012 Under-20 Women's World Cup. Since moving to the UK, she's also been blogging about her experiences for VICE Sports. With the Women's World Cup gearing up for its quarter-finals, this is her professional assessment of the tournament so far.

As an athlete you are constantly challenging yourself, breaking personal barriers in the hope of being able to compete at the highest-level. In the women's game there is no bigger stage than the World Cup. I watch a lot of sports – a lot – and in my opinion there's no other championship event that comes close to its calibre. Despite it only happening every four years, nothing else gives me more goosebumps or has me on my feet screaming, yelling, hollering as much as the World Cup. I hope one day I can catch my dream and say I represented my country proudly at such a prestigious tournament. For now though, it's been an absolute blast watching; here are some of my thoughts on the games so far.

Both my parents are Nigerian, I was born in England, and I've lived 19 of my 22 years thus far in America, so these are the three countries I have watched the most during the tournament.

For those who haven't had as much time as me to tune in, Nigeria (ranked 33rd in the world) were in Group D with America (ranked 2nd), Sweden (5th), and Australia (10th). Fittingly this group was labeled with the fourth letter of the alphabet, as TV analysts deemed it the Group of Death. Nigeria finished with a comeback 3-3 draw against Sweden, a 2-0 loss against Australia, and a 1-0 loss to the United States – not enough for them to advance to the Round of 16.

While I'm sure the Super Falcons are devastated at their World Cup journey ending so abruptly, I think they were one of the most aesthetically appealing teams in the entire tournament. When they attacked they were extremely dangerous – for many reasons. They went forward with numbers, fearless of their opponent's chance of a counter; they had speed as many of their players have immense pace; and perhaps most importantly, they attacked with creativity. Their players were very comfortable on the ball and had no hesitation taking on defenders.

England (ranked 6th) were in Group F with France (3rd), Mexico (25th), and Colombia (28th), recording a 1-0 loss to France and two 2-1 wins over Mexico and Colombia. The latter result was pivotal, as Colombia had stunned the French 2-0 in the match prior. The Lionesses finished second in their group and also advanced past the Round of 16, where a 2-1 comeback win over Norway sent them to the quarter-finals.

England look extremely organised. I think for me that's what makes them special – their tactical approach to the game. They are extremely neat, and it's hard to break through their system because everyone knows their role and they execute their responsibilities so well. It's also been really cool for me to watch my teammates represent their country! They're all great people and to see them buzzing on the telly as they get the results they've worked so hard for is really great. Best of luck against Canada to Jordan, Lianne, Siobhan, Casey, and Alex – do it for the Queen!

As I mentioned earlier, the United States were in the same group as Nigeria. America finished top thanks to a 2-0 win against Australia, a 1-0 win against Nigeria, and a scoreless draw against Sweden. They also advanced from the Round of 16 with a 2-0 win against Colombia.

The United States are looking for their first World Cup title since 1999, and they are very capable of doing so. They have only conceded one goal in four games, a huge accomplishment by their solid back line, with special recognition to my former U-20 USA teammate and captain Julie Johnston. She made a goal-saving tackle against Nigeria that would have given the Super Eagles the lead at that point in the match. Up front, the U.S. have plenty of weaponry. Anyone can have a good day and be the hero in the next match, an asset any coach would love to have.

So far, the match of the tournament for me was the Round of 16 duel between Japan (4th) and the Netherlands (12th). The ball movement between both teams was beautiful! Regardless of who had the ball, every possession span consisted of an abundance of passes. Japan, however, were more threatening than the Dutch when they had the ball; there was more diversity to their offensive attack. The Japanese played through their midfield when it was on, but if the space was out wide they delivered perfectly weighted balls to their flank players. When the Dutch pressed Japan's backline high, the Japanese did not fret but instead played quick and early over the Dutch defence. I mean, everything they did in each possession spell just made sense. It was like watching someone solve a Rubik's Cube. The Japanese are problem solvers – exceptionally patient problem solvers. Their patience, along with their impeccable technical ability, was the reason they scored an absolute beaut of a game winner. I think it is honestly going to be the goal of the tournament. I could describe it, but I don't think my words would do it justice, so here it is…

The World Cup is now at the quarter-final stage. The four matches are China v United States; Germany v France; England v Canada; and Australia v Japan. The stakes are going up in Canada, and I cannot wait to watch the remaining matches. The beautiful game transcends everything. It brings people together, but I wonder what nation it will bring to the podium embracing the World Cup trophy.