Two stoppage-time goals in under 90 seconds, by substitute Jordynn Dudley and captain Ally Sentnor, rescued the USA at the Estadio Pascual Guerrero. Sentnor then converted the Americans’ opening penalty and there was no denying them from there as goalkeeper Teagan Wy made one save and the U-20s advanced to the World Cup’s last four for the first time since 2016. The U.S. will meet Korea DPR, the reigning Asian champions, on Sept. 18 at 5:30 p.m. ET at the Pascual Guerrero for a place in the Sept. 22 World Cup Final in Bogotá.

The Cali quarterfinal marked the eighth meeting between the USA and Germany, women’s soccer’s most decorated nations, at a FIFA U-20 World Cup. This one, the first since a group-stage encounter in 2014, will be long remembered.

U.S. coach Tracey Kevins’ initial lineup featured one first-time World Cup starter. Orlando Pride rookie Ally Lemos was deployed in center midfield in place of Claire Hutton, who started each of the USA’s first four matches but was unavailable for the quarterfinal while in concussion protocol. The other noteworthy change was in back, where Stanford’s Elise Evans returned to central defense after starting the tournament opener against Spain. She replaced Heather Gilchrist. Evans was rock solid in the back with Jordyn Bugg, as was Gilchrist when she came on in overtime.

In the end, the substitutes would have their say.

The highlight of the first half was furnished by Wy, who has played every minute of this World Cup and is one of two Americans, along with Sentnor, who was on the team at the 2022 event in Costa Rica. Wy made a save-of-the-tournament quality play in the 17th minute when she leaped to right and got her right hand to a high, blistering 20-yard strike from Germany’s Sophie Nachtigall. Wy then swatted the ensuing corner kick away for good measure.

The Americans took a few minutes to get going but were bolder and increasingly on the front foot as the match progressed, while the energetic Sentnor was everywhere in the attacking third. She took eight shots in regulation. But the go-ahead goal remained elusive.

In the 41st, Sentnor forced a save from Germany’s Rebecca Adamczyk, after which the U.S. requested a video review of a potential foul on striker Pietra Tordin during the build-up. But referee Oh Hyeonjeong somehow ruled that clear contact from Germany’s Tomke Schneider on Tordin’s ankle didn’t warrant a penalty kick. Amazingly, a clear penalty kick foul on Dahlien was also waved way by Oh near the end of the match, but the USA was out of challenges – teams get two per game if they are not successful – and couldn’t request a review.

Germany opened the scoring against the run of play in the 61st. U.S. right back Gisele Thompson lunged to reach a loose ball in the penalty area, Germany’s Loreen Bender went down and Oh blew her whistle. Following another video review, Oh awarded the penalty and winger Cora Zicai left Wy with no chance on a perfect penalty to the upper left corner. It was her third goal of the tournament.

The USA attacked with heart and fervor in search of an equalizer, but when Bender scored following a counterattack in the second minute of second-half stoppage time, the match– and the Americans’ World Cup –appeared over.

Then Kevins’ super subs helped turn the tide.

Dudley, the Florida State star who scored the overtime winner against Mexico in the Round of 16 match, gave the USA hope in the 98th minute (the fourth official had indicated eight minutes of added time). Lemos launched a high ball from midfield that Dudley was able to corral as she stormed between two German defenders. Dudley skillfully set up her shot then slid the ball past Adamczyk into the lower left corner.

The U.S. players wrestled the ball away from the Germany players and out of the net to speed up the kick-off and they would need every second. Less than 90 seconds later, the amazing Americans were level. Another sub, the speedy Maddie Dahlien, dribbled through the right side of the penalty area and with pure will, beat her defender before cutting a cross that ricocheted off the bottom of a defender’s foot and bounced up toward the near post. The relentless Sentnor, who’d come so close so many times, finally got the goal she deserved, beating Adamczyk to the ball and knocking it with her right know, through the legs of defender Jella Veitm and into the net. It was the captain’s third of the World Cup.

Both sides were clearly fatigued during the 30 minutes of overtime, so penalty kicks would decide it. The U-20s previously had contested four shootouts in their World Cup history and agonizingly lost all four, most recently to North Korea in a 2014 quarterfinal round. So it made sense to let the veteran Sentnor get the U.S. started, and she delivered a perfect opener. Germany’s Paulina Platner then missed wide left, and captain Vanessa Diehm hit the woodwork. Riley Jackson and Leah Klenke were clutch for the USA, burying their kicks, and when Wy denied Alara Sehitler — with a right-handed save that echoed her first half stunner — the improbable comeback was complete.

Yet, it still wasn’t over. Yet another video review was required to check whether Wy’s clinching save was legal. Her foot was on the line. This one finally went the Americans’ way.

The USA ended up outshooting Germany 21-18, but the German wingers were talented and dangerous. Full credit goes outside backs Savy King and Thompson, and late Klenke, who all did a fine job of keeping them from getting behind the U.S. defense.

The Sept. 18 semifinal between the USA and North Korea will mark the fifth time the countries have met at the U-20 Women’s World Cup. Each occurred in the knockout stage. The Koreans won a 2016 semifinal in extra time and that 2014 quarterfinal on penalties. The U.S. was victorious in the 2012 quarterfinals (also in extra time) and the 2008 World Cup Final, 2-1, thanks to goals by future senior team stars Sydney Leroux and Alex Morgan.

The other semifinal, which will take place later on Sept. 18 in Cali, will feature the Netherlands, which defeated Colombia in penalty kicks in front of a massive sold-out crowd as Pascual Guererro Stadium, and Japan, with sent reigning champions Spain home with a deserved 1-0 win.