Brazil beat hosts France 1-0 in Nantes to reach the women's Olympic soccer semifinals and extend the top-level international career of legendary forward Marta.
Marta, a six-time women's world player of the year, was suspended for the quarterfinal after receiving a red card in Brazil's loss to Spain in its final group-stage game.
At the time, with Brazil struggling to even make it through the group stage, that looked like being a sad end to the Olympic career of the 38-year-old, who has announced she will retire from international soccer this year.
But after limping through in third place in its group with two losses from three games, Brazil won without the player widely regarded as the best of all time in women's soccer.
Gabi Portilho. got the decisive goal, bursting through two defenders to finish past keeper Constance
Picaud in the 82nd minute to the delight of Marta watching on in the stands. Brazil, with Marta back from suspension, will face a rematch with Spain in the last four on Tuesday and is guaranteed the chance to play for a medal.
Despite all her accolades, Marta has never won an Olympic or Women's World Cup title with Brazil. The team went close twice, winning silver medals in 2004 and 2008.
Griedge Mbock Bathy then headed against the bar from a corner in the 39th. Portilho's goal was Brazil's first shot on target and she then hit the post late on.
Earlier world champions Spain fought back from 2-0 down and advanced to the semifinals by beating Colombia in a penalty shootout.
Jenni Hermoso had sparked Spain's second-half fightback and Irene Paredes forced the game to extra time with an equalizer in the seventh minute minute stoppage time.
