By Scott French, Senior Editor in Portland, Ore.

Victoria Svensson, whose emergence as a force in Sweden's attack has been among the Women's World Cup's most compelling storylines, set up a pair of goals seven minutes apart to send the Swedes to their first major women's championship game.

Svensson's quick restart fed Malin Mostrom in the 79th minute, and her low cross from the right found Josefin Oqvist for the 86th-minute winner as Sweden rallied to beat Canada, 2-1, in the second game of Sunday night's doubleheader at PGE Park.

Kara Lang's blistering free kick from the right flank, which trickled through goalkeeper Caroline Jonsson's hands and into the net, had given the upstart Canadians a 64th-minute advantage.

Sweden will meet Germany in the title game next Sunday at the Home Depot Center, a rematch of the European title game two years ago, won in overtime by the Germans. The Canadians will tangle with the U.S. women, their archrivals, in the third-place game on Saturday.

''We've been working hard for this for many years, and now we are through,'' said Sweden coach Marika Lyfors Domanski. ''[It is] the small things [that decide who] goes through to the final in these games. It could have been Canada.''

Canada, which upset China in Thursday's quarterfinals, battled gamely throughout and frequently tested the Swedish defense, especially in the first half. Sweden's quality ultimately was too much, and Svensson — a Golden Ball candidate if the Swedes beat Germany — proved unstoppable.

''In general, my team was slower in thought and action than in the game against China,'' said Canada coach Even Pellerud, who guided Norway to the 1995 World Cup title. ''We lacked some of the intensity we had last time. I cannot complain. I think Sweden was one goal better than us today.''

Svensson evened the score by catching the Canadians unprepared, quickly sending the ball to Mostrom, who blasted the ball from the top of the box and off a diving Taryn Swiatek's hands. Mostrom had fired just high on three similar chances earlier in the half.

On the winner, Svensson sent a rolling cross through the Canadian box. Hanna Ljungberg, in the middle under Charmaine Hooper's cover, dived at the ball but missed, and it bounced to Oqvist, a 20-year-old reserve forward who had played only 19 minutes through Sweden's first four matches.

Oqvist's shot hit the left post and ricocheted across the goal and into the net, and she burst into tears as she was enveloped by her teammates.