Chinese women into football quarters in Beijing

China’s women booked their place in the Olympic quarter-finals on Tuesday with a Maria Quinones own goal and a Gu Yasha volley handing them a comfortable 2-0 victory over Argentina.

With two wins and one draw from their three group games China progress but it was curtains for the South Americans who lost three-out-of-three.

The dangerous Han Duan laid claim to the opening goal seven minutes into the second half after a goalmouth scamble. The ball bobbed up and onto her head although replays showed it went in off Quinones.

Substitute Gu sealed the match in the last minute, meeting a cross Xu Yuan with a perfect left foot volley.

China had a chance to open the scoring after just two minutes when Han found herself unmarked in the box but she directed her header straight into the arms of goalkeeper Vanina Correa.

Andrea Ojeda had a sniff of goal for the visitors with her long range effort curling past the post without troubling the keeper.

Soon after Han burst into the box but with only Correa to beat she stabbed the ball right at her with the keeper using her legs to keep her team in the game.

Ludmilla Manicler should have put Argentina ahead as half-time approached when she only had the goalkeeper to beat after being fed the ball in the box, but Han Wenxia did well to smother her shot.

China started taking charge in the second period and barely a minute after Han scored the opener Bi Yan bagged another only to be ruled offside.

Han was a constant threat and almost doubled the score in the 67th minute when she used her strength to shake off a defender and let rip with a right foot drive that shaved the upright.

Two minutes later she was in the thick of the action again, turning in the box and half-volleying with her left foot within an inch of the goal with the keeper beaten.

China piled on the pressure and they were rewarded with Gu’s goal.