No one really gets a break in the knockout round, but it seems strange that the winner of groups E and F has to play a 2nd place team, the other winners get 3rd place teams. It must be the draw, as you would think that FIFA would seed the highest ranked team to play one of those 3rd placers, but the group round is basically a tune up for the USWMT. It looks likely that the US team will play France in the quarters, and the winner of that may get England or Brazil or Japan in the semis.

The loser of the SWE-USA game gets Canada or Netherlands, then probably Germany. That is harder than Spain, then France.