Canada 1

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Canada 1

Gold Medallists Go Nap At Football Ferns' Expense

by Jeremy Ruane

Olympic women's football champions Canada marked their first appearance since receiving their gold medals in style at Ottawa's TD Place on 23 October, delighting the thousands present by humbling the Football Ferns 5-1 in the first game of their Celebration Tour.

It was the first game in charge of the New Zealanders for newly appointed coach Jitka Klimkova, who was restricted to selecting northern hemisphere-based players for her first series at the helm, with the second match against the Canadians taking place in Montreal in three days' time.

That match should see a few changes to the starting line-up, after a number of those chosen to kick off this encounter ultimately produced sub-par performances following a generally solid initial spell by the white-clad Ferns against opponents who were given a pre-match welcome fully befitting of first-time gold medallists.

Canada only got going after Catherine Bott's fifth minute twenty-five yarder had stung the gloves of goalkeeper Stephanie Labbe, an attempt which prompted a response led by the tireless Janine Beckie.

Linking with Deanne Rose and the solidly-performed Quinn, the attack-minded fullback charged into the penalty area before setting up Nichelle Prince for a first-time shot which she directed straight at Erin Nayler.

The striker's next goalbound attempt foundered on the well-placed Katie Bowen two minutes later, but when Canada next lined up a shot on goal, Jessie Fleming made no mistake from the penalty spot in the twelfth minute after Daisy Cleverley was harshly but correctly adjudged to have handled the ball as Christine Sinclair looked to flick it over her in the area.

That early strike settled the gold medallists, who were only prevented from doubling their lead three minutes later by the solidly-performed Bowen. With Allysha Chapman and Fleming having combined on the left, Sinclair was invited to find the net with a first-time effort which had the beating of Nayler but not the makeshift central defender, who stopped a certain goal.

The Football Ferns' response was one of their most enterprising moves in many a match, one which saw the ball circulated through virtually the entire team before climaxing in a twenty-yarder from Cleverley which was blocked by Vanessa Gilles on the edge of the penalty area in the seventeenth minute.

This gave the visitors a welcome boost, and they were afforded another eight minutes later when captain Ali Riley pounced on a poor clearance from Labbe and surged into the penalty area, only to go down under a challenge from Beckie which American referee Danielle Chesky deemed acceptable.

The Football Ferns skipper had a different opinion of the challenge, one which this writer shares. The angle of the tackle meant there could only be one outcome, but the penalty wasn't awarded by an official whose brief international career to date is noteworthy for the wrongful denial of both a clear-cut penalty and a fabulous team goal by the USA in their Olympic warm-up match against Mexico in July.

Unperturbed, Riley pressed again, this time on the half-hour having been released by the rock-solid Ria Percival, whose player of the week form in two recent rounds of the FA Women's Super League was very much in evidence in this match - she had a sound game.

Riley worked a one-two with Olivia Chance before picking out Emma Rolston's run to the near post, but the most prolific markswoman in New Zealand's age-grade international history was unable to add to her solitary goal for the senior side on this occasion, nor seconds later, when the presence of Gilles prevented the striker from latching onto Rosie White's clipped ball over the defence.

While looking to exploit the gaps in behind Riley and Bott as much as possible, Canada enjoyed scant reward for doing so until the 33rd minute, when Chapman and Prince combined to expose Bott's defensive shortcomings, the latter going on to get the better of Meikayla Moore before Nayler saved at her feet.

Back came the Ferns, Bowen and Chance joining forces to play in Betsy Hassett on the left in the 37th minute. She evaded a challenge before her deflected cross allowed Labbe to intervene before fullback Bott, who was well forward in attack, could swoop on the sphere.

Hassett then combined with Riley two minutes later, the overlapping fullback delivering a delicious angled ball into the near post area which Rolston was prevented from getting to by the intervention of Gilles, who resorted to borderline obstruction methods to foil the striker.

When Canada next raided, they earned a corner, Beckie's delivery of which had Nayler flapping. Kadeisha Buchanan was unable to take advantage of this 41st minute opportunity, but New Zealand's goalkeeper's lack of recent match play - she is currently without a club - was exposed seconds later as the Olympic gold medallists doubled their

advantage.

Buchanan and Beckie combined on the right, the latter's angled ball to the far by-line inviting Prince to head the sphere into the near post region. Moore's plan was to direct a cushioned header back to Nayler, but the goalkeeper had other ideas, and came off her line to deal with the danger.

The Liverpool defender duly executed her intention, only to find Nayler virtually on her shoulder. The ball struck the 'keeper and ricocheted to the lurking figure of Sinclair, who wasted little time in executing a sumptuous chip over the stranded duo and into the far corner of the net - 2-0, three minutes before half-time.

Changes were afoot for both teams at the start of the second spell, with Jacqui Hand the first of three players in this match to make their Football Ferns debut off the bench, Ava Collins and Amelia Abbott being the others, with another three players likely to enjoy the same experience when the teams reconvene in Montreal.

Sadly for the visiting team, the Football Ferns never got going in the early stages of the second spell, with Bowen stepping in to prevent Fleming from capitalising on the enterprising play of Prince five minutes after the resumption - the speedster had again got the better of Bott to create the opening.

When Canada next attacked with intent, they increased their advantage to three goals in the 57th minute. Composed build-up play featuring Sinclair, Quinn and Desiree Scott invited Beckie to deliver an angled ball into the penalty area for Rose.

Her deft dummy wrong-footed the Football Ferns rearguard, and with Prince having stolen a yard on Bott with an angled run in off the left, she was perfectly placed to take full advantage, and duly danced round Nayler before rolling the ball home into the untended net - 3-0.

The 'keeper redeemed herself with a fine reflex save to deny Sinclair from close range soon after, Canada's captain having benefited from the combined efforts of Fleming and Rose on the right.

Prince then lashed one over the bar from twenty yards after a mesmerising run past four by freshly introduced substitute Jordyn Huitema had only come to grief upon the timely tackle of Bowen, who looked on seconds later as Huitema stung the gloves of Nayler with a low drive.

Huitema's introduction to the fray, in the 64th minute, also saw New Zealand's latest debutant take to the field, and Collins' first involvement in proceedings earned her country a penalty twenty minutes from time, the Eastern Suburbs graduate having her heels clipped by the retreating figure of Chapman as she looked to capitalise on Riley's lofted ball over the top.

Referee Chesky didn't hesitate to point to the penalty spot this time, and Percival, the most capped footballer in New Zealand's history, duly drilled home her fifteenth goal for the Football Ferns, despite the best efforts of substitute Canadian goalkeeper, Kailen Sheridan, to prevent the score from becoming 3-1.

After Hassett had beaten a couple of players and played the ball forward for half-time substitute Gabrielle Rennie, who was beaten to it by the covering Shelina Zadorsky, Canada restored their three-goal advantage fifteen minutes from time, via a super move.

Sophie Schmidt played the ball wide to Beckie, who worked a one-two with the newly introduced Gabrielle Carle before getting to the by-line and pulling the ball back into the stride of another substitute, Adriana Leon, who swept the ball home from ten yards.

4-1 became 5-1 in the 82nd minute. Football Ferns substitute Hannah Blake was caught in possession by Schmidt in the centre circle, and the seasoned campaigner wasted little time in releasing Beckie through the inside right channel. Her fifteen yard drive was parried by Nayler into the stride of Leon, who gleefully bundled the ball home from close range to conclude the scoring.

Nayler twice denied Beckie the goal her performance merited before the full-time whistle, the sound of which prompted great delight among the natives, who were afforded a lap of honour by their gold medal-winning heroines.

It also left the Football Ferns with plenty to contemplate as they embark on the journey which culminates in their co-hosting the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup Finals. At the same time, these matches are allowing new coach Klimkova the chance to add some much-needed depth to the squad, which has been well served over the last fifteen years by a core group of players, a number of whom are unavailable for this tour due to Covid-19 travel restrictions.

Canada: Labbe (Sheridan, 47); Beckie, Buchanan, Gilles (Zadorsky, 47), Chapman; Fleming, Scott, Quinn (Schmidt, 64 (booked, 88)); Rose (Huitema, 64), Sinclair (Leon, 64), Prince (Carle, 74)

Football Ferns: Nayler; Bott (booked, 80), Moore, Bowen, Riley; Cleverley (Abbott, 87), Percival, Hassett (Blake, 79); White (Hand, 46), Rolston (Rennie, 46), Chance (Collins, 64)

Referee: Danielle Chesky

Football Ferns build-up