By David Ljunggren
OTTAWA, June 11 (Reuters) - Norwegian midfielder Maren Mjelde curled home a beautiful second half free kick to earn her side a deserved 1-1 draw with front-runners Germany in a women's World Cup Group B game on Thursday.
Germany, ranked number two in the world, started strongly and took the lead in the sixth minute when Anja Mittag knocked home the ball from close range after Norwegian goalkeeper Ingrid Hjelmseth spilled a routine shot.
The goal was Mittag's fourth of the tournament and follows the hat-trick she scored in the 10-0 thrashing of Ivory Coast in the opening game on Sunday.