The coaches - Silvia Neid (GER) v Jill Ellis (USA)

Here AFP sports takes a look at the careers of the two coaches ahead of the semi-final clash between the world's top two teams in Montreal on Tuesday:

One of the most experienced coaches in women's soccer, the World Cup will be the final tournament for former two-time world coach of the year Neid. She steps down to become the German Football Association's (DFB) head of scouting for women and girls next year and will be replaced by former midfielder Steffi Jones.

A former midfielder herself, Neid was also one of Germany's top women's footballers in her time scoring 48 goals in 111 international appearances between 1982-1996. She also won seven national championships and six Cup trophies at club level.

She took over as head coach in July 2005 after serving as assistant for nearly a decade. The 51-year-old has either coached or co-coached Germany to World Cup wins in 2003 and 2007, as well as the European title in 1997, 2001, 2005, 2009 and 2013, and held her job despite Germany's shock exit from the 2011 World Cup at home.

As a coach she is not one to sit patiently on the bench during games as she paces up and down the sidelines barking orders.

"I'm a very emotional person," she says. "It's impossible for me to sit back in my armchair. I'm very committed and into it and that's the way I am."

Ellis does not have the international coaching stature or playing pedigree of Neid having served as head coach for various national youth and university teams before being appointed US head coach in May 2014. Opinions are divided over whether she can deliver a first title since 1999.

Born in England, Ellis spent much of her childhood in Cowplain, a village near Portsmouth. Because there were no girls' teams at the time she only took up soccer after moving to the United States when she was 15. Her father John Ellis was a soccer coach. He ran camps in Florida and eventually hired Jill as his assistant. She played competitively, first at the club level in Virginia while in high school and then at the College of William & Mary.

She led UCLA to seven NCAA Final Four appearances between 2003-2009, but fell short of the championship each time. In the 2010 U20 Women's World Cup the US exited in the quarter-finals against Nigeria.

Ellis says her advantage is she has coached most of the senior US players at youth level. "Having already been immersed in US soccer I don't feel disconnected. I feel like I've had my finger on the pulse."

Unlike Neid, she doesn't prowl the touchline, preferring to sit on the bench during games.

"I'm very softly spoken, I wouldn't be heard," she says. "But if needed, we have people who can shout louder and get the message out there."

GERMANY (ranked 1)

SILVIA NEID

Date of birth: May 2, 1964 (age 51)

Place of birth: Wallduern, West Germany

Current position: Germany head coach

International playing career: 1982-1996 Germany women's team 111 caps (48 goals)

Teams managed: 1996-2005 Germany (assistant coach); July 2005 Germany head coach

Coaching honours: Women's World Cup (2): 2003 (as assistant coach) 2007 (as head coach); UEFA Women's Championship (2): 2009, 2013; FIFA U19 Women's World Championship: 2004; Olympic Bronze Medal (1): 2008

Individual Honours: FIFA Women's World Coach of the Year: 2010, 2013

USA (ranked 2)

JILL ELLIS

Date of birth: September 6, 1966 (age 48)

Place of birth: Portsmouth, England

Current position: United States head coach

Youth playing career: 1984-87 College of William & Mary

Teams managed: 1997-99 Illinois; 1999-2010 UCLA; 2000-2005 United States Under-21; 2007-2010 United States Under-20, 2008-2012 United States (assistant coach), 2012 and 2014: US interim coach; May 2014 United States head coach

Coaching honours: 2008 Olympic Gold (assistant coach).