A goal-filled first half saw Henry Martin open the scoring before Lee Dong-gyeong equalised in stunning fashion. Luis Romo put Mexico back in front, before Sebastian Cordova converted from the penalty spot to give El Tri a two-goal cushion at half-time.

Lee Dong-gyeong scored another superb goal after the break, but Martin and Cordova completed their braces to make it a three-goal lead, with substitute Eduardo Aguirre’s strike to make it six ensuring a late Hwang Ui-jo header would be no more than a consolation as Jaime Lozano’s men progressed into a semi-final showdown with defending champions Brazil.

The East Asians began the match as the top scorers in the competition but it was 2012 gold medalists Mexico who broke the deadlock in the 12th minute through Henry Martin before Lee Dong-gyeong levelled in stunning fashion eight minutes later.

But the Ulsan Hyundai man's equaliser did not swing the momentum the Koreans' way as a lovely strike from Luis Romo and a Sebastian Cordova penalty had the Mexicans 3-1 up at the interval.

Captain Maya Yoshida hit the decisive penalty to earn Japan a 4-2 shoot-out win over the OlyWhites after the two nations had shared a goalless 120 minutes in their quarter-final on Saturday.

The 73-year-old Advocaat, who replaces Srecko Katanec, returns to Asia for the third time as a national team head coach after previously managing United Arab Emirates in 2005 and Korea Republic in the 2006 FIFA World Cup Finals.

Coming into the tournament without a win in over a year, and having been less than two minutes away from elimination in Friday’s gripping quarter-final against Great Britain, Tony Gustavsson’s side are not just still alive, but one win away from guaranteeing themselves a first ever Olympic football medal.

Trailing 2-1 with less than two minutes remaining, the Matildas stayed in the contest thanks to last-gasp Kerr equaliser, setting the scene for a wild, seesawing period of extra time at the Kashima Stadium.

The Nadeshiko, despite struggling to produce their customary high standards, squeezed into the last eight as one of the two best third-placed teams but ultimately found Sweden a mountain too high to conquer as the hosts fell to a 3-1 defeat.

Magdalena Eriksson opened the scoring for Sweden in the seventh minute with Mina Tanaka equalising in the 23rd but the European side - unbeaten in more than 16 months - turned on the power in the second half with Stina Blackstenius and Kosovare Asllani (penalty) taking them through to a semi-final against Australia.