Rio de Janeiro (AFP) – The USA women’s football team’s Olympic winning streak was ended by a horror show from controversial goalkeeper Hope Solo in a 2-2 draw with Colombia on Tuesday.
Brazil’s darling Marta only appeared as a second-half substitute as the hosts were also held 0-0 against South Africa to secure top spot for the hosts in Group E.
Meanwhile, two-time world champions Germany, Australia, France, Sweden and China all booked their places in Friday’s quarter-finals.
Solo has been taunted by chants of “Zika” in Brazil for extravagant social media posts showing her draping a mosquito net over her head to avoid the virus at the Games and let two Catalina Usme free-kicks escape her grasp on her 201st international appearance.
A big crowd in the Amazonian city of Manaus nearly 3,000km from Rio, revelled in Solo’s pain when she let Usme’s first effort between her legs to hand Colombia a shock 26th minute lead.
US coach Jill Ellis had left stars Alex Morgan and Tobin Heath on the bench with progression to the last eight already assured, but captain Carli Lloyd did start and made another telling contribution for the equaliser after scoring in the first two games against France and New Zealand.
Lloyd’s driven effort was brilliantly turned onto the bar by Sandra Sepulveda, but Crystal Dunn followed up to tap home the rebound.
Mallory Pugh drilled the USA in front, but their winning streak stretching back to a group stage defeat to Norway in Beijing eight years ago was ended when Solo flapped at another dipping Usme free-kick in stoppage time.
The USA face old coach Pia Sundhage’s Sweden in the quarter-finals. Sundhage led the States to gold in Beijing and Athens.
Despite the point Colombia join South Africa, Zimbabwe and New Zealand in bowing out at the group stage.
Brazil, who had put their struggling male counterparts to shame with thrilling wins over China and Sweden, failed to shine as Marta was only introduced after the break to keep her fresh for a last eight meeting with Australia.
Two-time world champions Germany sneaked into the quarter-finals despite Melissa Tancredi’s double maintaining Canada’s perfect record in Brazil with a 2-1 win in Brasilia.
Canada topped Group E as Tancredi cancelled out Melanie Behringer’s early penalty before striking the winner on the hour mark for the 2012 bronze medallists.
Germany edged out Australia for second place by just one goal on goal difference after the Matildas smashed Zimbabwe 6-1. However, the Africans’ spirits weren’t crushed on their first ever tournament appearance as they jubilantly celebrated Emmaculate Msipa’s injury-time consolation.
France lie in wait for Canada in Sao Paulo as Eugenie Le Sommer and a brace from Louisa Cadamuro handed them a 3-0 win over New Zealand to take second spot behind the USA in Group G.
China and Sweden played out a 0-0 draw to secure their place in the knockout stages.
Next up for the Chinese is a clash with Germany in Salvador.
