U.S. Women draw 2-2 with Columbia to win Group G

The U.S. Women’s National Team won its group for the fifth consecutive Olympic Games with a dramatic 2-2 draw with Colombia at Amazonia Arena in its final Group G match of the 2016 Olympic Games.

Already assured of advancing to the knockout rounds and needing only a point to win Group G after defeating New Zealand and France in its first two games, the USA fielded a much-changed side from its opening two games with the purpose of keeping the squad fresh in the face of the long trip to the hot and humid conditions of Manaus deep in the Brazilian Amazon.

The USA began the match on the front foot, keeping possession of the ball and generating a handful of chances at the offensive end. However, it was Colombia that took a surprise lead midway through the opening half via a Catalina Usme free kick.

Despite the setback, the USA equalized through Crystal Dunn just before halftime. The speedy attacker was also involved in the team’s second goal, assisting 18-year-old Mallory Pugh, who became the youngest ever player to score an Olympic goal for the U.S. WNT when she scored the go-ahead goal in the 60th minute.

Usme shocked the USA a second time in the final moments of the match, scoring a second free kick in the 90th minute that was enough to keep the U.S., which outshot Colombia 16-3 and generated a pair of breakaway chances, from collecting all three points but not enough to derail the team’s ambition of winning the group.

The USA (2-0-1; 7pts) finishes atop Group G with France (2-1-0; 6pts) also advancing to the knockout stage in second place. New Zealand (1-2-0; 3pts) finished in third and along with Colombia (0-2-1; 1pts) was eliminated from the competition.

The USA now awaits the result of the day’s later Group E game between Sweden and China, which will determine which of those two nations will advance alongside Australia as the best third-place teams. The U.S. will contest its quarterfinal on Friday at Mané Garrincha Stadium in Brasilia (12 p.m. ET; NBCSN).

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