LANDOVER, Md. - On the last play of the game, Brazil tied the score. Almost as important, the Brazilians won't have to play the United States in the next game.

Maicon drove home a 12-footer after a free kick in the fourth minute of second-half injury time, lifting the Brazilians to a 3-3 tie with Germany Sunday and first place in Group B in the Women's World Cup.

The tie means Brazil will play the second-place team from Group A in the quarterfinals, while Group B runner-up Germany will likely face the tournament favorite U.S. team on Thursday at Jack Kent Cooke Stadium.

The result also eliminated Italy from contention for a quarterfinals berth.

The Germans, though exhausted in the heat and humidity, appeared headed for victory until Brazil made a final push in injury time that gave Sissi, who earlier scored her tournament-high sixth goal, a chance for a free kick to the right of the penalty box.

Sissi's kick was headed twice in the box, once by a teammate and once by a German defender, before it fell to the left foot of second-half substitute Maicon, who drove the shot past goalkeeper Silke Rottenberg.

Down 2-1 at halftime, Bettina Wiegmann and Steffi Jones scored early in the second half to give the Germans the lead.

Wiegmann celebrated her 100th international appearance with a penalty shot to the left of goalkeeper Maravilha in the 47th minute. The penalty was awarded when Prinz was yanked down by the left arm by defender Suzana.

Jones then drilled an 18-yard shot off the foot of defender Elane in the 58th minute.

In a match that pitted Brazilian flair vs. German precision, Germany scored first when Maren Meinert made a nice 40-yard run down the middle of the field and passed left in the penalty box to Birgit Prinz, who netted in the eighth minute.

Brazil tied the game in the 15th on Katia da Silva's 17-yard strike into the upper left-hand corner of the net, then took the lead on Sissi's 28-yard free kick around the left side of the wall in the 20th.