New Zealand are now equal top of Pool B on nine points, along with Australia and Argentina. When they meet Germany tomorrow night, their destiny is in their own hands.
Win and they go through, draw and they will go through, lose and they'd need great fortune.
As has become tradition at this tournament, New Zealand scored early. Forcing a penalty corner in the first minute, they worked a nice variation that saw Kayla Sharland drill one into the bottom corner.
New Zealand looked the superior side but were also guilty of turning over possession too easily. They paid the penalty midway through the first half when USA made a rare attacking foray. Melody Cooper could not deal with a tricky cross and was robbed in front of goal by Katie O'Donnell.
New Zealand calmed their nerves with a second almost immediately, this time a scruffy penalty corner that was flicked back across goal by Stacey Michelson and poked home by Gemma Flynn.
New Zealand then had several chances to give themselves a nice little buffer before halftime but somehow contrived to mess up every gilt-edged chance. US keeper Amy Swensen was having a strong game, but some of the misses were glaring, including one by Samantha Harrison that looked easier to score than miss. Hager said the ball had bobbled just before impact.
You could almost see the equaliser coming as a form of rough justice. Aided and abetted by Argentine umpire Caroline de la Fuente, who seemed to take great umbrage any time a New Zealand player tried to win the ball, Argentina were awarded a penalty corner that they somehow bundled over.
Earlier, de la Fuente had green-carded Clarissa Eshuis and, more astonishly, following the goal she yellow-carded Michelson for the most tenuous offence. Rub of the green tends to go in swings and roundabouts, but it wouldn't have helped the coaches' humour that one of the teams that would benefit most from New Zealand misfortune would be Argentina.
The second half was tense and increasingly physical. Both sides had chances to break the deadlock, but it was New Zealand who again spurned the better opportunities.
Amazingly, Michelsen was yellow-carded for the second time by de la Fuente.
"Obviously two yellow cards in a match is not something you want to do to your team," she said. "The first one my stick just got caught between her legs, but the umpire must have seen something different.
"The second one? I'm not even sure."
The Black Sticks were awarded a goal late in the match, but it was correctly overruled on referral, increasing the nerves.
Finally, with six minutes to go, the breakthrough. From a penalty corner Eshuis dragged the ball into the bottom corner.
The relief was palpable. Now Germany wait.
POOL B
Argentina - 9 points (goal differential - 8)
New Zealand - 9 points (goal differential - 4)
Australia - 9 points (goal differential - 3)
Germany - 6 points (goal differential - -1)
USA - 3 points (goal differential - -2)
South Africa - 0 points (goal differential - -12)
