China finally stopped falling and avoided the danger of becoming the first hosts to exit only after the group stage at a World Cup, while their Asian "neighbors" DPR Korea and Australia emerged as the new powers to women's soccer world along with England.
Late on Thursday, the hosts fought hard to beat underdogs New Zealand 2-0 to roar into the quarter-finals, thanks to a 1-0 nip from Athens runners-up Brazil who earn nine points from three matches to top Group D.
China did not make themselves safe until the end of Brazil's game against Denmark after the capability of the hosts had widely been talked low and their chances had once been on verge after being humiliated by Brazil 4-0 in the second round of the trickiest group.
Putting aside the stumbling hosts, what more impressed are the performances from the DPR Koreans, the Australians and the Englishwomen, who were marked as Dark Horses after their surprising run into the quarter-finals against tough rivals from the group stage.
DPR Korea have qualified for the knock-out phrase through the Group of Death, which also featured two-time winner the United States, the 2003 runners-up Sweden and five-time African champions Nigeria.
Australia once led the Group C after two matches and held on for a draw with Canada on Thursday to make the quarters with the 1995 champions Norway, while England won a valuable point on defending champions Germany and ruled out Japan's chance to advance.
Neither of them has ever won the tournament dominated by the United States and European teams, and furtherly, the former two had never went beyond the first hurdle in their previous appearances.
With all the stunning qualifiers, the pro-tournament small talks have turned loud as the women's world cup, which had seen ups and downs in every previous one, again comes out the cradle nursing surprising packages and eventually realizes the balance with three European, two American and three Asian sides in the last eight.
The DPR Korean team, with relatively unimpressive record on the world stage, held the U.S. 2-2 in their first Group B match, which never happened before for the 1991 and 1999 winners in their previous World Cup openers, beat Nigeria 2-0 and lost to Sweden 2-1 in their last round one.
Their advancing partially depends on the sluggish run of Sweden, who suffered a first-round exit with a win, a draw and a lose, but the Koreans have made themselves formidable to all the rivals in the tournament with their speed, stamina and physical strength, coupled with a trademark never-say-die spirit.
Australia, called "one of the most underrated teams of the tournament" by Norway coach Bjarne Berntsen shortly before the world cup kicked off last Monday, have displayed even more fantastic moments during the group matches.
In the 4-1 triumph over Ghana, the Aussies displayed their astonishing speed and well-balanced work; On Saturday, they gave more surprises when coach Tom Sermanni left six major players out of the starting lineup to meet group favourites Norway, and still managed to earn a 1-1 draw after bringing on several crucial players like Lisa De Vanna and Sarah Walsh in the second half.
Their last showleading The Matildas into the quarters came out a dramatic one on Thursday, as a stoppage time goal from skipper Cheryl Salisbury beat off a late comeback of Canada and ruined a perfect start from the rivals who opened scoring in the just 42 second.
As for England, the women's side backing on a nation with strong football traditions of men's games made a fair-tale to come true at their only second appearance in the tournament.
The hottest one among the pre-tournament favorites to emerge in China as the surprising package have matched their repute by outplaying Germany for parts of Friday's game, especially in the first half, though they had to withstand waves of German pressure in the last 20 minutes.
They tied Japan 2-2 in the first match last Tuesday and rout Argentina 6-1 on Monday to edge Japan out.
In the quarters, DPR Korea will play title defenders Germany on Saturday when England meet the U.S., and Australia face Brazil on Sunday, with all the world awaiting for the following surprises.
Source: Xinhua
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