Colombia scored a 97th-minute winner through a Manuela Vanegas header to snatch a dramatic 2-1 victory over Germany and stand on the cusp of the Women’s World Cup last 16 on Sunday.
Former champions Norway hit the Philippines for six to squeeze into the Women’s World Cup last 16 on Sunday but co-hosts New Zealand bowed out in tears after a goalless stalemate with Switzerland.
Skipper Alexandra Popp thought she had rescued a point for Germany as she held her nerve to score from the spot on 89 minutes.
But in an incredible finish to a pulsating clash, Vanegas popped up deep into stoppage time for all three points with a close-range header.
It came after Linda Caicedo scored one of the goals of the tournament in front of 40,000 fans in Sydney near the start of the second half, but that was just the beginning of the drama.
Their victory left Colombia top of Group H with a perfect six points. Germany and Morocco have three each and all to play for.
South Korea are still just about alive on zero points.
Germany face the Koreans in the last round of matches while Colombia are up against Morocco.
Singing and dancing Colombian fans vastly outnumbered German supporters in a raucous crowd at Sydney Football Stadium.
Loud boos and whistles went up each time Germany had the ball, and they had plenty of it in the first half.
The second half started with Germany, champions in 2003 and 2007, again looking the more likely to score.
Teenager Caicedo started the game for Colombia following a training-ground scare on Thursday when she went down holding her chest.
On 52 minutes she added to her goal from the opening 2-0 win over South Korea with a strike of the highest quality.
The Real Madrid attacker dinked inside, fooled the German defence with a body swerve and bent the ball wonderfully into the top corner.
Germany went in the search of an equaliser and Lena Oberdorf skewed just wide after a corner fell her way.
Colombia thought they had won it but goalkeeper Catalina Perez brought down Oberdorf in the box and Popp defied the whistles to score her penalty, before Vanegas’s late intervention.
Norway, Switzerland into knockout stages
Switzerland topped an excruciatingly tight Group A which saw a heartbroken New Zealand team knocked out by virtue of an inferior goal difference compared to Norway.
The 1995 champions Norway needed a win and they did it in style, thrashing debutants the Philippines 6-0 at Eden Park in Auckland.
Sophie Roman Haug scored a hat-trick as the Philippines’ fairytale journey came to a shuddering halt.
With Norway well ahead, New Zealand -- who were in pole position at the start of the day along with the Swiss to go through -- now needed to beat Switzerland in Dunedin.
The hosts had the better of the first half with a string of chances, the pick of which saw forward Jacqui Hand rattle the post on 24 minutes.
As Norway chalked up the goals in Auckland, the New Zealanders upped the intensity, knowing only a win would be good enough to advance.
The atmosphere among the sell-out crowd grew more heated as both teams pushed for a goal and New Zealand goalkeeper Victoria Esson might have won it with a header from a corner in added time that went wide.
Many of the New Zealand players were in tears as their run ended.
The Football Ferns made history at this tournament by recording their first-ever World Cup win, but they fell agonisingly just short in the end.
Earlier in the same group, Morocco won a Women’s World Cup match for the first time after Ibtissam Jraidi struck early to give them a stunning 1-0 victory over South Korea.
Having been thrashed 6-0 by Germany on their World Cup debut, this hard-earned win kept alive Morocco’s unlikely chances of reaching the last 16.
As well as a first Morocco victory at the tournament, there was another piece of history when defender Nouhaila Benzina became the first to play in a hijab at the Women’s World Cup.
“We are just so glad that our efforts paid off,” said the goal-scorer Jraidi.
“I would like to dedicate this victory to Morocco and all the Arab nations at large. It was the fruit of our hard work.”
French coach Reynald Pedros saw his Morocco team take the lead after only six minutes in front of just over 13,000 fans in Adelaide.
Hanane Ait El Haj crossed and forward Jraidi nipped in ahead of her marker to expertly glance her header into the far corner.
Morocco, ranked 72 in the world, were supposed underdogs against the 17th-ranked Koreans.
Colin Bell’s Korean side belatedly grew into the game towards the end of the first half, but like in their 2-0 opening defeat to Colombia, they lacked punch up front.
South Korea were left facing an early exit, having failed to get even one shot on target despite all their possession.
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