Germany and China booked the first two spots in the quarter-finals of the FIFA Women’s World Cup on Saturday as they brushed aside rivals Sweden and Cameroon.
Germany, champions in 2003 and 2007, demolished Sweden 4-1 in Ottawa, while China won 1-0 in Edmonton, Alberta, to send the last African challengers Cameroon home.
Forwards Celia Sasic and Anja Mittag both scored their fifth goals of the tournament, with Sasic netting a brace, as top-ranked Germany closed down their fifth-ranked European rivals in scorching conditions at Lansdowne Stadium.
Photo: EPA
Germany coach Silvia Neid described the victory as “a very important game, maybe a key match” in the tournament.
“We haven’t had games of this quality in the World Cup apart from Norway,” said Neid, whose group had included minnows Ivory Coast and Thailand.
Germany, who were shocked in the quarter-finals of the 2011 World Cup at home, next play either France or South Korea for a place in the semi-finals.
While Germany and Sweden battled in temperatures reaching 38?C, it was raining in Edmonton, where Wang Shanshan’s first-half goal was enough for China to set up a meeting with either the US or Colombia.
China coach Hao Wei had a touchline ban and was forced to watch the game from the stands in Edmonton’s Commonwealth Stadium, but his side closed down the game early when Wang got the opener after 12 minutes when she picked up pass from Li Dongna, who did well to control a Wang Lisi corner.
“Today all the players were wonderful, they put on a spectacular performance, demonstrating amazing resilience and bravery,” China assistant coach Chang Wei-wei said.
The defense of 16th-ranked China was rock solid allowing few chances for 53rd-ranked Cameroon’s energetic forwards.
Once 25-year-old Wang Shanshan scored her second goal of the tournament it was impossible for Cameroon to get through.
China failed to qualify for the 2011 tournament and the Olympic Games the following year, and midfielder Ren Guixin, named player of the match, said there was more to come.
“We are in the top eight now and a huge burden has been lifted off our shoulders, we will become even more aggressive in our next match,” Ren said. “The biggest weapon of the team is based on strong defense to create more scoring opportunities.”
Despite a spirited challenge by the 53rd-ranked African side, China held on to make it through to the last eight for the sixth time.
In Ottawa, Mittag, 30, set Germany on their way in the 24th minute with a solo run following a poor pass in the Sweden defense for her fifth goal in four matches, and 12 minutes later Sasic got her first when she slotted in a contentious penalty awarded for a foul on Mittag inside the area by former Rosengard teammate Amanda Ilestedt.
Sofia Jakobsson nearly pulled one back for Sweden seconds before halftime, but could not manage to keep her header down.
Sasic grabbed her second on 78 minutes when a diving header gave her a fifth goal of the tournament after Simone Laudehr’s initial effort had come back off the post.
Defender Linda Sembrant got one back for Sweden with eight minutes to go, but Dzsenifer Marozsan added another for Germany two minutes from time.
“If you want to win that kind of game when Germany are playing that well you need everything going your way and it did not,” Sweden coach Pia Sundhage said.
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