SYDNEY: 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.
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 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 and all to play for.
South Korea are just about alive on zero points.
Germany face the Koreans in the last round of matches while Colombia are up against Morocco.
“Germany is a world power, that’s a reality, but Colombia has been making great strides and today Colombia is a world power,” said the defender Vanegas.
“I dreamed of scoring a goal in a World Cup, I knew it was going to come and I decided to do it for today’s game.”
Germany were one of the pre-tournament favourites and their coach felt they should have been “smarter” at the end and settled for a draw.
“We need to learn our lessons and take a draw, but we tried to win and we need to talk about this,” Germany’s coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg said.
“With our goal difference a draw would have left us first in the group, which would have been good mentally, but the pressure has now increased.”
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 possession in the first half.
Lina Magull swung and missed the ball as it sat up invitingly for her in the Colombian penalty area.
Magull was a menace and after making life difficult once more for the Colombian defence, the ball fell to striker Popp with the goal gaping just before the break.
But the usually deadly striker skied her volley high and wide to give the South Americans a huge letoff.
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 her training-ground scare on Thursday when she went to the ground holding her chest and on 52 minutes added to her goal from the 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 search of an equaliser and Lena Oberdorf skewed inches wide after a corner fell her way.
With minutes left of normal time, Colombia goalkeeper Catalina Perez brought Oberdorf over in the box and Popp defied the whistles to score her penalty, before Vanegas’s late intervention.
“What these girls have just done is extraordinary, it’s that passion how they play, a dedication, a fight,” said Colombian assistant coach Mario Abadia.
“It’s a great joy. They are warriors, the penalty came and they didn’t drop their heads, this is the Colombian team.”
Earlier in the day Morocco won a Women’s World Cup match for the first time with a 1-0 victory over a disappointing South Korea who failed to muster a shot on target.