Not so easy bracket

Apparently, this was the old version but is still live on FOX's site

Well, the Women's World Cup is 11 days away and if you thought you could just find the Knockout Stage brackets easily, you'd be wrong.  The FIFA one uses this inverted vertical version of a bracket.  Other sites just have an empty bracket.  And Fox Sports has, after several hours of trying to verify, an incorrect one.  But in trying to verify, apparently I came across an old FIFA regulations guide that also had conflicting matchups and likely is the one FOX used to map the teams.  But the latest FIFA regulations guide now has the "correct" matchups that align with their website and pdf schedule.  Yet if you go the Fox Sports Fan Guide now, it's still incorrect, which is curious considering FOX is the TV broadcaster of all matches.  But this could also be why hardly anyone else wants to put out a bracket until they are sure those are the correct Round of 16 matchups. 

Well, our pool will go with the FIFA matchups and bracket.  I do have bottom bracket inverted (e.g., IV v III instead of III v IV) since it makes more sense to me the next numerical match number (38) should go first.  But it won't affect any of your picks as the matchups are still the same. 

Issue 1.0.1 "Le Moment de Briller" (5/27)

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Monday, May 27, 2019

     WILL EQUAL PAY LAWSUIT DISTRACT #1 USWMT FROM 4TH TITLE?
Equal opportunity exists, with the women taking center stage; 2nd HWCI Women's WC Pool deadline is Friday 6/7 Noon PDT

FREMONT, CA (smt) -- On International Women's Day (March 8), the 28 U.S. women's national team (USWMT) players sued the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) for gender-based discrimination in an attempt to level the playing field with their USMNT brethren.  Considering their success as 3-time and defending World Cup champions vs the USMNT who failed to qualify for the last World Cup, it's odd the USSF continues to downplay the USWMT and pick this fight rather than at least offering significant merit-based bonuses.  But at least some sponsors are correcting their ways, with LUNA Bar and Adidas now giving equal bonuses to both teams.  At least the U.S. women will play in the WWC as Ballon d'Or winner Ada Hegerberg will sit out the WWC in protest (since '17) over lack of respect for female players in Norway. 

Will this be a distraction to the #1 ranked team in the world?  Will host France (ranked #4) do what their men's team did when they last hosted the WC ('98), win the Cup?  Will USA coach Jill Ellis coach correctly from the start instead of experimenting (remember those 0-0 draws at halftime?) and waiting for the fans to cause the course-correction like in '15 (maybe not, as 273-cap Carli Lloyd is not happy being on the bench)?  Will #7-Japan bounce back from their shellacking in the final in '15?  Will English-speaking countries of #3-England, #5-Canada, and #6-Australia make a splash finally?  Will current Olympic champion #2-Germany win their 3rd WC to equal the U.S.?