North Korea's 'keeper, Jon Myong Hui (right), tips the ball away as she is challenged by Sweden's Karolina Westberg during their Group B match at the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup in Tianjin, China, yesterday. Sweden won 2-1 but failed to score enough goals to qualify for the quarter-finals while North Korea advanced. - AP

SHANGHAI, China (AP):

THE UNITED States and North Korea progressed to the quarter-finals of the women's World Cup yesterday, completing half the line-up of the final eight.

The United States will play England, and North Korea will meet defending champions Germany in quarter-finals on Saturday, with the remaining four quarter-finalists to be decided in matches today and tomorrow.

The U.S. topped Group B with a 1-0 win over Nigeria in Shanghai, just hours before the anticipated onset of a powerful typhoon.

North Korea lost 2-1 to Sweden, leaving both teams level on points, but the Koreans finished runners-up in Group B on goal difference, eliminating the 2003 World Cup finalists.

Lori Chalupny put the U.S. ahead after just 55 seconds against Nigeria to set up a result that extended their unbeaten streak to 50 games.

Flicked a header

Off a long throw-in, Abby Wambach flicked a header to Chalupny, who controlled it off her chest and then chipped a shot that deflected into the net.

"You take any goal you can, but getting a quick one - now they've got to come at you," American coach Greg Ryan said. "It gives you better chances going the other direction. It's a great way to start."

In the 85th minute, Nigeria almost went level, but U.S. 'keeper Hope Solo made a point-blank save from Rita Chikwelu.

Nigeria players had refused to practice for several days before the match due to a remuneration dispute with the Nigeria Football Association. The matter was only settled on the eve of the match.

In Tianjin, North Korea progressed but coach Kim Kwang-min was unhappy with his team's failure to get a win that would have meant top spot in the group.

"Because the DPR Korean team already experienced two tough games, this time the physical condition of the players were not that good and also they could not concentrate on the game," he said.

Sweden left ruing

Sweden needed to win by three goals or more to reach the last eight, and were left to rue their opening draw with Nigeria that ultimately cost them a quarter-final place.

"I thought we could go the whole way," coach Thomas Dennerby said. "It was 20 minutes against Nigeria that we lost the tournament."

With the top three European teams from this tournament to get entry to the 2008 Olympics, Germany will get one spot as Group A winners, and Norway are likely to get another as quarter-finalists from Group C.

With England's progress irrelevant because they are not an Olympic nation, that now leaves Sweden sweating on Denmark failing to progress from Group D, forcing a playoff between the two Scandinavian nations for the last Olympic spot.

Charlotta Schelin's opener came in the fourth minute as she headed home a cross.

North Korea equalised in the 22nd with a long-range shot by Ri Un-suk into the top right corner of the net.

Sweden went ahead again in the 54th minute as Schelin burst between two defenders and slotted home, but the team could not find the additional two goals it needed.

Typhoon Wipha, expected to be the worst to hit Shanghai in a decade, was on track to make landfall just hours after the match, bringing with it 300 kph (190 mph) winds. The storm forced FIFA, the world governing body of soccer, to reschedule two matches.

The Norway versus Ghana match in Group C was delayed from today to tomorrow and moved from Shanghai to the neighbouring city of Hangzhou.

The Group D match between Brazil and Denmark will stay in Hangzhou but was put back from today to tomorrow.

In today's matches, Australia and Canada will play to decide which of the two progresses from Group C, and hosts China will be looking for a win against New Zealand in Group D to shore up their quarter-final ambitions.