The U.S. women's national team held on for a 2-1 win against France on Friday in the quarterfinals of the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup. 

The Americans played with a quick attacking style to get the ball up the field as fast as they could, creating more scoring opportunities. They held off France throughout the first half, but their defense broke down in the second half. The U.S. allowed France to score in the 81st minute, but managed to hold on long enough to avoid elimination. 

The U.S. advances to take on England in the semifinals Tuesday. 

Here are three takeaways from the USWNT's win:

It felt more like the finals than the quarterfinals

Friday's quarterfinal was the most anticipated match of the tournament up until this point, and there might not be another match quite like it for the rest of the tournament. Both the United States and France entered the tournament as favorites — Les Bleues were a close second behind the defending champion Americans.

Both nations easily advanced through the group stage and on paper, the matchup itself seemed more fitting for the finals rather than the quarterfinals. Entering Friday's showdown, the nations ranked first and second in goals, expected goals and expected goals against in the tournament. 

The Americans came out strong and scored in just the fifth minute. They now have three of the six fastest goals in the tournament and have scored in the opening 12 minutes of every game in France. After barely escaping Spain with a win in the round of 16, the U.S. looked very different Friday and was more effective overall. 

The U.S. kept carrying the ball close to France's penalty area, so the French players had to defend down low, making it a dangerous game filled with high intensity. 

France couldn't stop Megan Rapinoe

Plain and simple: Megan Rapinoe couldn't be stopped. The Americans played played with a much quicker tempo than they had against Spain and it was difficult for Les Bleues to break up their attack, especially on the left side where Rapinoe was playing. 

Rapinoe was  responsible for the USWNT's first goal to make the score 1-0 and then delivered again in the 65th minute to give the Americans a more comfortable lead.

It's the second game in a row that Rapinoe contributed back-to-back goals for the U.S. She scored the Americans' only two goals in the round of 16 against Spain off penalty kicks, making her the first player in U.S. history to score four straight goals and the first in tournament history to net two back-to-back braces.

If anything's certain in this tournament, it's that the Jill Ellis-led team will continue to rely on the veteran in the semifinals. 

Is there something wrong with Alex Morgan?

Alex Morgan had one of the best games of her career against Thailand in the United State's opening game of group stage, but she hasn't contributed much since then. She's taken several big hits and left the game against Sweden at halftime. Morgan insists she's not hurt, but it's pretty clear based on the way she's playing that she's not 100% healthy. 

She hit the turf and came off the field for a little bit in Friday's match, but she appeared to be OK as she went back into the game. She played all 90 minutes, but wasn't nearly as effective as she was against Thailand. 

Her health will continue to be a question as the Americans advance further in the tournament.