A goal inside the first 45 seconds of play ultimately proved to be the difference between Iceland and the Football Ferns in their SheBelieves Cup encounter at the Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson on 17 February, the European team prevailing 1-0. As has been the case in numerous previous first-up international tour fixtures, the Football Ferns made like a car which has been locked away in cold storage for a lengthy period - it doesn't start at the first time of asking, but eventually kicks into life after plenty of coughing and spluttering. Iceland took full advantage of this, dispossessing Abby Erceg as she attempted to dribble out of defence, and forcing a hurried shanked clearance from Meikayla Moore which resulted in a corner. Karolina Vilhjalmsdottir's delivery was flapped at by Erin Nayler, whose contact with the ball was unconvincing. It ricocheted off a defender back towards the target, where the tall figure of Dagny Brynjarsdottir scrambled the ball home from close range just 43 seconds after referee Katja Koroleva had blown her whistle to start proceedings. The body language of the Ferns players in the immediate aftermath of the goal spoke volumes, and was best defined by the returning Erceg, who last graced the side at the Olympics in July. She turned away, head down, but the look on her face said everything - "Seven months away, same old problems …" The veteran defender was one of five changes coach Jitka Klimkova made to a winning line-up, with the Ford-sponsored New Zealand side having won their last fixture of 2021 at the expense of subsequent Asian Cup runners-up Korea Republic. Nayler, Hannah Wilkinson and captain Ali Riley were back in the starting line-up, as was Paige Satchell, who came off the bench to score one of the goals against the Koreans, and whose performance in this Icelandic encounter was her best to date in Football Ferns attire - she was easily New Zealand's stand-out performer in Carson. Of her fellow replacements, Wilkinson looked well out of sorts. The leading scorer in the Liberty A-League she may be, but she never threatened the target in this match, in large part due to lacking coordination with her fellow front-runners - she'd run to the near post when the cross would go to the far post, for instance. "Wilky"'s presence also saw an increase - compared with the Korean series - of the number of "hit and hope" balls played out of defence by the Football Ferns, in stark contrast to the more passing-oriented style which coach Klimkova has looked to employ since her appointment. Which begs the question - is New Zealand's most recent centurion able to adapt her game to the more considered approach which earned the Football Ferns their first win in thirty months last November? In goal, Nayler hasn't played football on a regular basis for some considerable time, and it shows. She is sorely lacking match sharpness, the evidence of which was here for all to see - it always is when you're the last line of defence. She knows full well, too, that hers is not the form expected of a nation's number one goalkeeper, a title she is striving to regain, because it's one she no longer holds where the Football Ferns are concerned - at least one rival has surpassed Nayler in the pecking order at present, and the fact Victoria Esson didn't start this contest was a selection surprise. Riley, captaining her country for the 34th time, remains without peer in the left-back role for NZ, and her leadership, dynamism and infectious enthusiasm are key elements of the Football Ferns' culture. But there were moments in this match upon which she'll reflect and know better has come to be expected of her - a few too many wayward passes emanated from her cultured left foot, for instance. There was another returnee to the squad who started the match on the bench. Rebekah Stott's return to the world stage after overcoming Hodgkin's lymphoma is an event which all should celebrate - she certainly did so via her game-changing impact upon her entry to the fray sixteen minutes from time. She brought a much-needed zest and zing to the midfield contest, a creative spark which had been sorely lacking until her arrival, and freed up the likes of Ria Percival and Katie Bowen to offer a far greater threat to Iceland than the ponderously performed Daisy Cleverley was ever likely to provide. A player who regularly takes five touches to do what on-field circumstances require be done in two doth not an international footballer maketh. Back to the action, of which there was plenty from Iceland's perspective in the first ten minutes as they looked to build on their early advantage. The outstanding Sveindis Jonsdottir's long throw-in in the fourth minute was flicked on at the near post by the goalscorer, Brynjarsdottir, forcing Moore to head the ball over her own crossbar from almost directly beneath it. Three minutes later, a short corner from Vilhjalmsdottir was headed out by Bowen to the edge of the penalty area, where Jonsdottir was lurking to thrash a low drive through the crowded goalmouth. Nayler smothered it well. Conceding possession needlessly in their own defensive third was a problem for the Football Ferns in the opening phase of the contest, and Iceland went close to capitalising on it again in the twelfth minute. Vilhjalmsdottir latched onto a wayward pass from Bowen and weaved her way into the penalty area before Moore stepped in to block her shot. The rebound invited Berglind Porvaldsdottir to exploit the situation, but Catherine Bott retrieved the situation with a well-timed challenge.

The white-clad Ferns finally settled down after this, and began to make a favourable impression on proceedings, particularly down the right. Bott, Bowen and Satchell combined down that flank on the quarter hour, with the last-mentioned's cross flying across the face of goal, beyond Wilkinson, who had made a near post run in vain. Riley picked up the pieces and linked with Cleverley and Bowen, who played a delightful pass through the inside left channel. Icelandic goalkeeper Cecilia Runarsdottir was alert to the danger, however, and dashed out to save at the feet of Cleverley. After Satchell had evaded two challenges on the right, only for her progress to be curtailed by Brynjarsdottir's well-timed challenge, the game evolved into something of an arm wrestle, with the Football Ferns offering perspiration aplenty but little penetration against opponents who came into this match with four wins to their name from as many fixtures. Indeed, it was Iceland who went closest to altering the scoreline before the interval, with Moore's vital interception thwarting Jonsdottir's low cross, after the talented flank player had completely bamboozled both Bowen and Bott on the left before darting in between them ten minutes before half-time. And on the stroke of same, Riley gifted possession to Vilhjalmsdottir, who set up Porvaldsdottir for a great chance to double the lead. The striker was cursing herself as the whistle blew, however, having shot straight at Nayler when scoring seemed the easier option. Bott signalled the Football Ferns' second half intentions three minutes after the resumption of play, her thirty yard drive being grabbed by Runarsdottir, who cleared under pressure from Wilkinson seconds later as the striker looked to catch the 'keeper in possession prior to playing the ball out of her penalty area. Two minutes later, Olivia Chance - she was well-contained in the first half - finally evaded the clutches of the experienced Sif Atladottir and delivered another cross which Wilkinson failed to exploit, prompting coach Klimkova to make her first changes in the contest. Not before another long throw-in from Jonsdottir had given the Kiwis cause for concern, however. Nayler was once more found wanting when dealing with an aerial delivery under pressure, but her defenders were able to come to her rescue on this occasion. Gabrielle Rennie and Betsy Hassett entered the fray at the expense of Wilkinson and Chance respectively, and within seconds the Football Ferns were presented with the chance to equalise via a Percival free-kick. She delivered high quality, a whipped low set-piece into the near post area which had Iceland in panic mode - they survived the scare. In the 64th minute, Bott was caught in possession on halfway, half-time substitute Svava Gudmondsdottir sending Jonsdottir scampering down the left at pace. She skipped past Moore as if she wasn't there before clipping a cross to the far post, just over the head of the incoming figure of Brynjarsdottir - a real let-off for the Ferns. Two minutes later, Glodis Viggosdottir headed Vilhjalmsdottir's corner narrowly over at the near post, following which the influential corner-taker was withdrawn from the fray - her absence was noticeable, a point enhanced by Stott's eagerly awaited 74th minute return to international football. Within sixty seconds of entering the arena, Stott rewarded Hassett's surging run with a measured pass which invited the midfielder to attempt to pick out the versatile figure of Bowen, a feat she just failed to accomplish. Eight minutes from time, the Football Ferns dodged another bullet when Nayler, under pressure, played a risk-laden pass to the edge of her penalty area where Erceg was already being closed down. Her attempt to clear ricocheted off her marker and across the top of the box, thankfully arriving at the feet of Moore, who tidied up a situation which, on another day, may well have benefited an opponent, and from which a goal may well have resulted. Buoyed by this, Iceland pressed again, with Erceg twice called upon to block shots from Jonsdottir and Gudrun Anrardottir in the last six minutes of play, during which time the Football Ferns thrice came close to levelling the scores. Runarsdottir dodged a bullet four minutes from time when her poor touch from a back-pass attracted the attention of Bowen, who narrowly failed to capitalise upon the situation. The goalkeeper made amends with a vital save in stoppage time, however, as New Zealand went close with a last-gasp effort to equalise. Percival, who, moments before had volleyed wildly over on receipt of a raking Nayler clearance, picked out Erceg with a corner which she headed down to Bott, whose acute-angled attempt was diverted into the side-netting by Runarsdottir, a save which ensured Iceland would be the only victors on the first day of SheBelieves Cup action, with the Czech Republic holding the USA to a scoreless draw in the later fixture at the same venue. Iceland:     Runarsdottir; Atladottir (Arnadottir, 67), Viggosdottir, Arnardottir (Sigurdardottir, 67), Gisladottir; Brynjarsdottir (booked, 60), G. Jonsdottir (Andradottir, 85), Vilhjalmsdottir (Johannsdottir, 67); S. Jonsdottir, Porvaldsdottir (Gudmundsdottir, 46), Albertsdottir (Tomasdottir, 85) Football Ferns:     Nayler; Bott, Moore (Hand, 88), Erceg, Riley; Cleverley (Stott, 74), Percival, Bowen; Satchell, Wilkinson (Rennie, 55), Chance (booked, 19) (Hassett, 55) Referee:     Katja Koroleva (USA)