Nadeshiko Japan eased to a 2-0 win over an outclassed Football Ferns team at a rain-soaked Nagano U-Stadium on October 9 to win the MD & AS Cup, their at times intricate interchanges in challenging conditions a real joy to behold as the former world champions delighted the 4410 fans who braved the elements with some cerebral football of very high quality. Contrastingly, Jitka Klimkova's charges rarely strung a series of passes together, preferring instead the relieving clearance in the general direction of the fit-again Hannah Wilkinson, which more often than not resulted in Japan regaining possession and finding more ways to probe and prod a Football Ferns defence which saw Meikayla Moore and Liz Anton filling in at fullback for the injured Catherine Bott and Ali Riley, both of whom picked up knocks in training during the week. The latter's absence saw the captain's armband being worn by Victoria Esson, who already had reason to smile this week after the Football Ferns' next two fixtures were set down for her hometown of Christchurch. With this appointment, she was fair beaming, and when one considers that she has survived heart surgery, not to mention an extremely lengthy absence between starring for the Junior Ferns in the 2010 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Finals and making her Football Ferns' debut seven years later, before having to wait a further five years to enjoy a solid run in the national team, one can fully appreciate why. Only the peerless Leslie King - without question the best goalkeeper in the history of NZ women's football - had captained her country while wearing the number one jersey prior to this match, so Esson is in highly esteemed company as she becomes the 23rd person to lead New Zealand's footballing women into battle on the world stage. She herself was up to her usual tricks soon after the start of this match, as Nadeshiko carved open the Football Ferns' defence to create two chances in the first four minutes. Outstanding debutant Aoba Fujino just failed to get on the end of Honoka Hayashi's defence-splitting pass in the third minute, but made amends seconds later with a rasping drive which Esson turned round the far post at full stretch. The resulting corner was cleared, unlike a ninth minute delivery by Fujino which invited Japan's captain, Saki Kumagai, to swivel and send a ten yard volley flashing past the upright, much to the dismay of the crowd who, like the players, were soon being soaked by a steady downpour as the heavens opened over Nogano. Further Japanese pressure followed - Esson comfortably dealt with a twenty-five yarder from Hayashi - before Fujino worked one-twos with both Hayashi and Riko Ueki prior to playing in the mercurial Jun Endo on the left. Her cross had Ueki's name written all over it until Claudia Bunge's vital intervention ensured no change to the scoreline after fifteen minutes. The Football Ferns fired their first shot in anger three minutes later, a dipping twenty-five yarder from Olivia Chance which cleared the crossbar by a yard. She also featured in the visitors' next enterprising moment, sparking a move which featured Malia Steinmetz's angled pass to Betsy Hassett. She touched the ball on for Indiah-Paige Riley to take on, but her progress was thwarted. However, all was not lost, for the ball broke kindly for Moore to whip in a cross, targeting Wilkinson. Ayaka Yamashita read it well, however, the intervention of Japan's goalkeeper ending Kiwi hopes of a shock lead. For in between these rare raids, Nadeshiko had been knocking on the door at the other end of the park. Hayashi's delicious reverse pass had Ueki as its intended target in the nineteenth minute, but Esson saw the danger early and hurtled well out of her penalty area to clear off the striker's toes. Six minutes later, Fujino picked out Hana Takahashi with a corner, the defender directing a bullet header wide of the target from eight yards. But after this, the Football Ferns began to grow in confidence, and enjoyed a decent spell of pressure which peaked with a 37th minute attack. Ironically, it began via a Japanese attack, Ueki's piledriver being blocked by Bunge - has the Northern Premier Women's League's Most Improved Player in 2018 ever failed to impress in a Football Ferns shirt? On this occasion, Katie Bowen latched onto the loose ball, and downfield she swept, a fabulous penetrating run through the heart of the pitch which featured a one-two with Steinmetz - solid again - and an attempt to do the same with Wilkinson which foundered on the striker's poor return pass. Bowen's enterprise deserved better reward. That prompted a Japanese counter-attack, particularly with Bowen now well out of position. Hinata Miyazawa fed Endo on the left, and she got to the by-line before pulling the ball back invitingly for the unmarked figure of Fujino, arriving on cue, to steer a twenty-yarder over the right-hand angle of Esson's goal. Buoyed by that close call, Nadeshiko pressed again in the 42nd minute. Fujino and Ueki worked a delightful one-two - the former executing a sumptuous round-the-corner back-heeled pass to start the move - before Fujino picked out Endo arriving beyond all-comers with a deep cross. Esson was very relieved to see her opponent's shot flying straight at her, much to Endo's frustration. That disappointment swiftly became delight for

Japan, who opened the scoring seconds from the conclusion of the first half. Miyazawa was on manoeuvres before bringing Endo into play. Her one-two with Ueki was expertly executed, and opened the door for a pass into the stride of Miyazawa, who had continued her run through the inside left channel into the penalty area. Without breaking stride, the midfielder fired an angled low drive beyond the dive of Esson and into the net via the base of the far post - 1-0 to the hosts, a goal which delighted their rain-soaked fans, who braved the elements to cheer on their heroines, 2-0 victors over Nigeria in a friendly played three days prior to this contest. The Football Ferns came within six inches of getting the second half off to a sensational start. Moore's ball forward in the 48th minute saw Paige Satchell unleashing her pace on the Japanese defence, prompting Yamashita to slice an attempted clearance. The resulting corner - New Zealand's first of the game - nearly paid dividends. Chance picked out Wilkinson, whose header struck an opponent and ricocheted off the near post before being scrambled clear by Futoshi Ikeda's charges, who paid heed to the warning and didn't give their opponents a sniff of another opportunity of this nature. Instead, Japan did what Japan do - dominated possession, worked the ball around the park in effortless fashion and created a myriad of openings against an increasingly overworked Football Ferns rearguard. Takahashi was first to threaten, her dipping long-range effort clearing the crossbar before Endo - a constant menace throughout proceedings - was picked out by Miyazawa and sent a low cross-shot fizzing across the bows of the incoming Fujino and just past the far post in the 53rd minute. Just shy of the hour mark, Endo got the better of Steinmetz on the left before delivering a measured cross into the stride of Miyazawa, who steered her shot past the upright as Nadeshiko continued to press for a second goal. It materialised in the 61st minute. Moore's clearance was pounced on by unmarked half-time substitute Fuka Nagano - not often you see a player with the same surname as the city in which the international they're involved in is being played! The newcomer bided her time and engineered space for herself before delivering a cross which Ueki, rising between Moore and Bunge, sent bulleting beyond the diving figure of Esson with a fine header - 2-0, and a real striker's goal to boot. They weren't satisfied with two goals, either. Three minutes later, Miyazawa and Endo started and finished a slick move, the latter's cross being fired past the near post by Ueki at full stretch, with the covering figure of Bunge on her shoulder and Esson diving at her feet. Three minutes later, Esson was flying around her goal area again, this time successfully denying Nagano after the Miyazawa - Endo ticket had once again caused problems on Japan's left, New Zealand's right. It prompted Football Ferns coach Jitka Klimkova to make some changes, among them a debut for Mackenzie Barry - she acquitted herself well in her time on the park - and a brief run-out in goal for Anna Leat, for whom this was a record-equalling fourth appearance as a substitute goalkeeper. Her first involvement in the game was to look on with relief as Fujino, at the conclusion of a barnstorming run which saw her take on and beat half the Football Ferns squad, lashed a twenty-yarder narrowly past Leat's right-hand post thirteen minutes from time. More threats on New Zealand's goal followed, but not before substitute Grace Jale had shot tamely at Yamashita with Bowen ranging up in support inside her. Soon afterwards, the Ferns' most versatile player was fulfilling her defensive duties with aplomb, denying Nagano after Asato Miyagawa, Fujino and the hard-working Risa Shimizu had combined to good effect. From a corner, Fujino then picked out the unmarked figure of Kumagai, who somehow contrived to hit the bar from six yards when scoring seemed to be a racing certainty. And Fujino caused further mayhem deep in stoppage time, capitalising on Bunge's desire to shepherd the ball out of play to dispossess her and set up Nagano for a chance which she skied from ten yards. A bad miss with which to finish proceedings, but Japan's intended target remains well in their sights - the FIFA Women's World Cup Final, an event being co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand for which Nadeshiko was one of the initial qualifiers. After the co-hosts, of course, a team which will now be playing the majority of its upcoming internationals on home turf over the course of the next ten months. Two internationals against Korea Republic have already been confirmed for Christchurch in November, while there'll be two matches in Hamilton and one at North Harbour Stadium during a busy week in February, as preparations ramp up for the biggest women's sporting event this country will ever host.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Nadeshiko:     Yamashita; Takahashi (Norimatsu, 82), Kumagai, Minami; Shimizu, Sugita (Nagano, 46), Hayashi (Takarada, 69), Miyazawa (Miyagawa, 90); Fujino, Ueki, Endo (Koyama, 82) F'ball Ferns:     Esson (Leat, 75); Moore (Taylor, 75), Bowen, Bunge, Anton; Steinmetz, Hassett (Blake, 90), Chance (Rolston, 90); Satchell, Wilkinson (Jale, 57), I. Riley (Barry, 75) Referee:     Kim Yu Jeong (Korea Republic)