China will be meeting their last opponent, Spain, in Group B at the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup on Monday at the Stade Océane in Le Havre. The result of this game will decide the fate of the Chinese Steel Roses at the tournament, but winning may not be the necessarily the best choice for China.

Both China and Spain currently have three points after one win and one loss, with Spain ranking second because they have more goal differences. The group's top seed Germany already has six points after two victories and they'll likely come out on top in their next match against South Africa, who already have two losses. There's little doubt which team will be at the top of Group B.

As for China, Monday's game can lead to three different results. First, if they defeat Spain, China will make the Round of 16 as No.2 in Group B but they have a good chance of taking on USA, world's No.1, who scored 18 goals in their first two games and are undefeated in the World Cup so far. It's true that in competitive sports you should never fear any opponent, but why challenge the top seed when you have other choices?

If China finishes the game against Spain with a draw, the Steel Roses will be No.3 in Group B with four points. According to World Cup rules, the four No.3 teams with the best records will qualify for the Round of 16. In Group E and Group F, all four top two teams have gained six points, meaning there won't be another four-point team from these two groups. Therefore, if China can tie the game against Spain, they will be one of the four lucky teams to make the next stage while avoiding USA.

Of course China cannot afford a loss either. If they lose to Spain, even by only one goal, they will only have three points and a negative goal difference.. In that case, China's fate will no longer be in their hands and they'll have to count on others' mercy to get to the Round of 16.

On June 16, China's manager Jia Xiuquan and vice captain Zhang Rui attended the pregame press conference. When asked the team's state of mind for the game, Jia said the team will just focus on themselves.

"It's nothing unusual. Playing at the World Cup is already good enough for our girls and we should simply concentrate on every game. It doesn't matter how much calculation we do and what's important is how to display ourselves in our own way,"