Brazil cruised into the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament quarter-finals with a 5-1 victory over Sweden at the Olympic Stadium in Rio de Janeiro.
Three first-half goals from Cristiane, Beatriz and Marta set the Rio 2016 hosts on their way, before the latter pair doubled their tallies for the evening in the second half, with Lotta Schelin grabbing a late consolation.
In the opening moments, Brazil fed off a noisy Rio crowd and, inspired by Marta, took all the attacking initiative. Beatriz opened the scoring with an opportunistic effort. A hopeful lofted through ball was not dealt with properly by Nilla Fischer, before Emma Berglund left the ball to Hedvig Lindahl allowing the Brazilian No16 to steal in and poke home.
Brazil doubled their advantage moments later. The hosts worked the ball down the left-hand side to Marta, who drilled a low cross into the path of Cristiane who flicked the ball into the net via a Fischer deflection.
After more concerted pressure, Vadao’s side were three-up by the break. Magdalena Eriksson brought down the livewire Cristiane. Marta – fresh from parading the Olympic flag Opening Ceremony just 24 hours earlier – send Lindahl the wrong way in coolly converting the spot kick to the goalkeeper’s left.
A rather pedestrian second period followed, before Marta doubled her goal tally for the day and the tournament. Elin Rubensson failed to clear under pressure from the No10, who found space by flicking the ball forwards with her right foot and clinically slotting past Lindahl with her left.
Beatriz then put the cherry atop the cake, opening her body and curling a controlled effort past Lindahl for the hosts’ fifth.
Schelin, playing at her fourth Olympics, scored her sixth goal across those respective tournaments, smartly finishing past Barbara after springing the Brazilian offside trap.
Sweden face a showdown with China PR on the final day of Group E action on Tuesday in Brasilia, with the hosts facing now-eliminated South Africa in a dead rubber.
In other second leg fixtures in the Women football event, New Zealand edged Colombia 1-0 thanks to a clinical strike from striker Amber Hearn to win their second match in Olympics history and claim three important points in Group G at the Estadio Mineirao in Belo Horizonte.
China 2-0 South Africa
China PR kept their hopes of reaching the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament Rio 2016 knockout stages alive with a 2-0 victory over South Africa at the Olympic Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, courtesy of Gu Yasha’s effort in first half stoppage time and Tan Ruyin’s spectacular late strike from distance.
USA 1-0 France
Germany 2-2 Australia
Germany came from two goals down to earn a 2-2 draw with Australia in their second match in Group F at the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament Rio 2016.
The European champions faced an uphill climb after first-half goals from Samantha Kerr and Caitlin Foord had the Matildas out to a two-goal lead, but a Sara Daebritz strike just before half-time and a late equaliser by Saskia Bartusiak saved Germany’s blushes in Sao Paulo.
Canada 3-2 Zimbabwe
Canada beat Zimbabwe 3-1 at the Arena Corinthians in Sao Paulo in what felt like a match of two halves. The Canadians scored all three goals in the first half thanks to a brace from Janine Beckie, but Zimbabwe finished the match strong, scoring a late goal to the delight of the 30,000 crowd.
Zimbabwe played without defender Lynett Mutokuto, who received a one-match suspension for having committed what was considered a serious foul against Germany. Since the infringement escaped the match officials’ attention, the incident was submitted to the FIFA Disciplinary Committee for consideration and decision.
