Nigeria stun co-hosts Australia, US yet to fire

BRISBANE, Australia, July 27 (AFP): Nigeria stunned co-hosts Australia 3-2 on Thursday in the biggest shock of the Women's World Cup so far, while the United States failed to hit top gear in a stalemate with the Netherlands.
Australia's damaging defeat, having surrendered a 1-0 lead, leaves their last-16 hopes in real danger with one round of games to play in Group B.
Randy Waldrum's Nigeria and Canada are both on four points from two games and in pole position to make the knockout rounds.
Australia are a point behind and now must beat Olympic champions Canada on Monday otherwise they will be out of their home World Cup.
It had all started so well for the co-hosts in front of an expectant crowd of nearly 50,000 in Brisbane who were there to see the Australians seal a place in the knockout stage.
A concussion to Mary Fowler in training and the continuing absence of captain and talismanic striker Sam Kerr because of a calf injury left Australia badly short of attacking options.
But Emily van Egmond came into the side and she fully justified the decision of coach Tony Gustavsson by scoring the opener in the first minute of first-half injury time, rolling the ball smartly into the net.