Colombia's Catalina Usme celebrates her goal Photo: PHOTOSPORT
France and Colombia have both advanced to the quarter-finals of the women's football World Cup.
Eugenie Le Sommer netted a brace to lead France to a 4-0 victory over debutants Morocco in their last-16 match in Adelaide and into the last eight for the third consecutive time.
Kadidiatou Diani's fourth goal of the tournament, a header in the 15th minute, sparked an eight-minute three-goal Les Bleues blitz, with Kenza Dali and Le Sommer also scoring at Hindmarsh Stadium, ending the North African side's fairytale run.
"I think the French team showed just how serious we can be," said coach Herve Renard. "The result speaks for itself. It's the most important that we were able to score four times, four blinders."
France next face hosts Australia in the quarter-finals on Saturday in Brisbane.
Morocco became the lowest-ranked team (72) to play in the last 16, bouncing back from a 6-0 rout by Germany to beat South Korea and Colombia. But they were no match for fifth-ranked France who went unbeaten in the group stage, capped by a dramatic 6-3 win over Panama.
Meanwhile, a second-half goal by Catalina Usme fired Colombia to a 1-0 win over Jamaica and carried the South Americans to their first Women's World Cup quarter-final.
The captain's 51st-minute strike sent Colombian fans into delirium at a packed Melbourne Rectangular Stadium and ensured the last American team in the tournament will battle England for a place in the last four.
"We are representing the whole continent of South America," Colombia coach Nelson Abadia said.
Jamaica's 'Reggae Girlz' had chances to level the match but bowed out swinging in front of a crowd of 27,706, having reached the knockout phase for the first time in their second World Cup.
Four years after Jamaica were eliminated from their group in France with three heavy defeats, coach Lorne Donaldson was proud of the Caribbeans' progress.
His players competed while locked in a pay dispute with their national federation, and had resorted to crowdfunding in the leadup to help cover costs.
"I feel very happy for the players that they could perform at this level without adequate games to play (before)," he said.
-Reuters
