WATCH the the semi-finals and the final of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup LIVE, FREE and EXCLUSIVE on SBS and SBS On Demand.
Familiar foes
Australian audiences will have a vested interest in the U-20 Women's World Cup semi-finals after watching both Spain and Brazil best the Young Matildas in the group stage.
Leah Blayney's side fought hard in both fixtures but were ultimately unable to add to the three points they secured in their opening game against hosts Costa Rica.
Groups A and D are all that remain from the 16-team tournament as a result, with Spain and Brazil set to face the Netherlands and Japan, respectively.
Top goalscorer Inma Gabarro will be the obvious threat for the Spaniards, having scored three of her five goals against Australia, while Brazil will look to dominate the central and wider areas through the likes of Luany and Yaya.
Asia's finest
Japan have once again proven themselves to be the class of Asia after reaching the semi-finals.
The defending champions were one of just two teams to win all three group games and most recently defeated France in arguably the game of the tournament.
Facing World Cup elimination, Aoba Fujino's 125th-minute penalty brought scores level in Alajuela, where Haruna Tabata kept their title hopes alive in the ensuing shootout.
No team in U-20 Women's World Cup history have successfully retained their World Cup crown, though Germany have come the closest after lifting the trophy either side of a 1-0 defeat to the USA in the 2012 final.
Flying Dutchwomen
The Netherlands will embrace the underdog tag for the second successive knockout game in Costa Rica and, according to Zera Hulswit, they'll prevail all the same.
Hulswit opened the scoring 11 minutes into her first start of the tournament as the Netherlands secured an impressive 2-0 victory over Nigeria in the quarter-finals.
Nigeria had won all three group games heading into the contest, but were left stunned in what was only their opposition's second-ever appearance in the competition.
The Netherlands will next face Spain as a reward for their efforts, and Hulswit remains "confident we can get past them" and reach the final.
U-20 Women's World Cup Schedule
Friday, August 26
Semi-Final - Spain v Netherlands
08:15 - 10:30 (AEST)
LIVE on SBS and SBS On Demand
Semi-Final - Japan v Brazil
11:45 - 14:00 (AEST)
LIVE on SBS and SBS On Demand
Monday, August 29
Final
11:45 - 14:00 (AEST)
LIVE on SBS and SBS On Demand
