The World Cup has dispensed with the formalities, and now can move on to its riveting climax … in the quarterfinals?

The draw for the knockout stages of women’s soccer’s marquee tournament has presented a fascinating, even cruel, twist: a final-worthy showdown between the co-favorites, the defending champion United States and host France, looms in the quarterfinal round.

But first each team needs to survive a Round of 16 elimination game, and their opponents ought not to be overlooked.

The U.S., after an utterly dominant waltz through the group stage in which it scored a record-breaking 18 goals and allowed none (the cumulative advantage in shots was a cool 83-9) matches up with an ascendant Spain team on Monday.

“Now we’re really going to see what we’re made of,” U.S. winger Tobin Heath told reporters after Thursday’s 2-0 Group F-clinching win over Sweden.

France, which had a perfect finish in Group A despite some unconvincing moments, doesn’t have a gimme either: traditional power Brazil, making one final run behind the legendary Marta, on Sunday in Le Havre.

Still, they are odds-on to set up a clash of juggernauts on Friday that would clear the path toward the trophy for the winner and send the loser — the most popular team in the stands in France, or the best-known team globally in the U.S. — to a premature, TV-ratings-killing exit.

It also makes room for other teams to reach the medal rounds. According to FiveThirtyEight, three teams — two-time Cup winner Germany (52 percent), as well as loaded European squads England (50 percent) and the Netherlands (47 percent) — began the Round of 16 with better chances of advancing to the semifinals than the U.S. (46 percent) and France (40 percent), given the unpredictability of their likely quarterfinal clash, though they remain the top choices to win the whole thing.

Here are 10 stories and questions for the Round of 16:

1. Video assistant referee, better known as VAR, even better known as that P.O.S. VAR, has been a menace through the early stages of the tourney. The replay system has led to lengthy, buzz-killing breaks in the action to enforce the letter but not the spirit of soccer’s laws: frame-by-frame reviews of offsides calls and — even more asinine — double-checks of whether goalkeepers are millimeters off the goal line on penalty tries.

On Friday, FIFA acknowledged the penalty-kick mess — which arose multiple times in the opening round, including in securing France’s 1-0 win over Nigeria — by tweaking the rules to not assess yellow cards to goalies for stepping off the line. The penalty kick still will be retaken.

Still, the nightmare prospect of a Zapruder-level parsing of film at a crucial moment of this World Cup remains.

2. The Golden Boot race is on. American captain Alex Morgan shared the goals-scored lead through the group stage with Australian superstar Sam Kerr at five goals apiece, and Brazil’s Cristiane (4), England’s Ellen White (3) and the U.S.’ Carli Lloyd (3) weren’t far behind. Morgan tallied four in the infamous 13-0 rout of Thailand, and Kerr had a four-goal game against Jamaica. Kerr was shut out in Saturday’s loss to Norway on penalty kicks, after playing to a 1-1 draw in regulation time. Can Morgan pull away to add the individual honor to her glittering career résumé?

3. It depends in part on Morgan’s injury status. The 29-year-old was subbed out at halftime of the Sweden game due to a leg injury. U.S. coach Jill Ellis was adamant it was a precautionary move, terming Morgan’s injury a “knock.” The U.S. is blessed with depth, especially at the forward position, but losing Morgan or even having her compromised would be big. Her status must be monitored.

4. Three games have done nothing to solve the glut in the U.S. midfield. Lindsey Horan, Julie Ertz, Sam Mewis and Rose Lavelle each have played well — four deserving starters for three spots. In a must-win game, with all four players healthy, who takes the pine? Figure it’s Mewis or Lavelle. Or perhaps Ertz slides to center back, in place of Abby Dahlkemper, to get them all on the field.

5. Can we start getting an Over/Under on Tobin Heath nutmegs? The most entertaining player in the world when she’s on the ball.



6. U.S. goalie Alyssa Naeher, after not being tested in the first two games, was sharper against Sweden. But it remains to be seen whether the successor to Hope Solo — who’s keeping an unforgiving eye from the press box in her work for BBC — is ready for prime time.

7. France’s defense, featuring a core that plays together on the club level for Olympique Lyonnais, has been the most impressive position group. In three games, they have scored more goals on themselves (one, Wendie Renard’s own-goal versus Norway) than they allowed to opponents (zero).

8. It is fitting Marta, the Babe Ruth of women’s soccer and six-time Player of the Year, now owns the World Cup scoring record, male or female. But barring a miracle, it’s looking as if she will retire without a World Cup title.

9. England is a compelling sleeper pick. What a story that would be, if the women end the country’s World Cup drought that dates to 1966.

10. The opposite for 2011 champion and 2015 runner-up Japan, which appeared out of ideas in the group stage and was fortunate to advance.

11. Italy, the surprise winner of Group C, is a viable Cinderella, sharing a quarter of the bracket with the Netherlands.