And then there were two.
Spain, fresh off its triumph at the European Championships this summer, will be seeking a gold medal at the Paris Olympics after its 2-1 victory over Morocco on Monday. It will be facing host country France, which beat Egypt 3-1 in the later game.
Spain, the silver medalists from the 2020 Tokyo Games, actually trailed Morocco in the first half after Soufiane Rahimi buried a penalty.
But Spain roared back in the second half, as Fermín López and Juanlu Sánchez scored to send the Spaniards to the final.
In the second game, Egypt stunned the hosts when Mahmoud Saber gave them the lead in the 62nd minute.
But Jean-Philippe Mateta was the hero, scoring both the equalizer 83rd minute and the winner in the first period of extra time, his third and fourth goals of the tournament.
He was aided by Egypt going a man down in the early minutes of stoppage time after Omar Fayed was given his second yellow, while Michael Olise put the game away with France's third goal in the second period of extra time.
And so two powerhouses will compete for the gold.
France have yet to lose at the Olympics, though they've needed late drama one more than one occasion to keep their perfect record intact. Spain, meanwhile, lost to Egypt in the group phase before getting past Japan and Morocco in the knockout rounds.
The hosts look like the favorites. They've dominated defensively in this tournament, allowing just one goal while scoring 11. Blanking a strong Argentina side, in particular, was impressive, though the Argentines had a few chances.
Spain are loaded with talent though arguably haven't been as impressive at this tournament, allowing five goals while scoring 11. The Spaniards do seem to have an aura around them at the international level at the moment, no matter who is playing—the women's team is the defending World Cup champions—but that will be tested against France.
It's a home game for the French, undoubtedly a major boost. That, paired with their defensive record to this point, should be enough to earn them a gold in what could end up being a classic final.
Prediction: France win, 1-0
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