Leading Off

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PHOTOGRAPH BY LARS BARON FIFA/GETTY IMAGES

Head Honcho U.S. midfielder Carli Lloyd (10) outjumped China's Zhao Rong (14) and drove a 51st-minute header past keeper Wang Fei to secure a 1--0 victory in their Women's World Cup quarterfinal match in Ottawa last Friday. Lloyd's goal came in her 200th national-team appearance, a game that fellow midfielders Lauren Holiday and Megan Rapinoe had to miss because of yellow cards. The U.S. moved on to face top-ranked Germany on Tuesday.

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QIN LANG/XINHUA/ZUMAPRESS.COM

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PHOTOGRAPH BY DENNIS GROMBKOWSKI BONGARTS/GETTY IMAGES

Deutsch Treat Germany midfielder Sara Daebritz (23) rushed to embrace Nadine Angerer after her penalty-kick save iced a win over France in the WWC quarterfinals last Friday in Montreal. The French led 1--0 until the 84th minute, when forward Celia Sasic (13) buried a kick from the spot after a hand ball in the box. Neither team scored in extra time, and each converted its first four PKs before Angerer stopped Claire Lavogez's try.

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MINAS PANAGIOTAKIS/GETTY IMAGES

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PHOTOGRAPHS BY KEVIN C. COX GETTY IMAGES

Mana Mania Japan forward Mana Iwabuchi (16) snapped a scoreless tie in the 87th minute—and broke the will of Elise Kellond-Knight (on ground) and upset-minded Australia—in Edmonton last Saturday. After entering the match 15 minutes earlier, Iwabuchi pounced on a loose ball in front of the goal. The 1--0 victory was the eighth straight in World Cup play for the defending champs and set up a semifinal showdown with England on Wednesday.