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Spirited Ferns Fall To Reigning World Champions

by Jeremy Ruane

A spirited first half showing from the Football Ferns prompted the reigning FIFA Women's World Cup holders to step up their game in the second half of their out-of-season clash at Sky Stadium, Team USA overpowering their hosts 4-0 in Wellington on January 18 in front of 12,508 fans - the third largest attendance at a women's football fixture in the history of the code in New Zealand.

That all those goals came in the second half speaks volumes for the tenacious efforts of Jitka Klimkova's charges in the first forty-five minutes. Yes, they didn't threaten a goal, but their opponents' productivity was somewhat restricted by the honest endeavours of the women in black, who didn't "park the bus" - that's not "the Kiwi way" - but certainly made life difficult for their much vaunted rivals.

Of course, there were chances, the first of them materialising in the fifth minute via Alex Morgan, whose near post header flashed over the bar after Naomi Girma, Margaret Purce, Rose Lavelle and overlapping - and jet-heeled - fullback Emily Fox had combined to good effect down the right.

Seven minutes later, Crystal Dunn's probing ball in behind the defence sought out the incoming figure of Purce, who gave Ashleigh Ward a torrid time in what was just the fullback's third appearance for New Zealand. She dodged a bullet on this occasion, but it wasn't long before the world champions were exploiting the Kiwis' left flank once more.

Fox and Taylor Kornieck combined to pick out Purce on the right, and after evading a challenge she slipped a pass into the stride of Morgan. The prolific striker skipped past one opponent, then swept past another in the penalty area, only to fire a blank - Erin Nayler was rather relieved to see the ball roll slowly past her left-hand upright.

Purce was a constant menace down the American right throughout the first half, and once more got in behind the defence in the eighteenth minute. She invited the unmarked Lindsay Horan to let fly from just inside the area, but Nayler produced a fine block to deny the midfield general.

It took a further ten minutes for the USA to engineer another attack of note, so effective was the Football Ferns' pressure all over the park during this time. Horan eventually found an outlet ball, however, and it was Purce, inevitably, who received it.

She promptly cut inside before unleashing a curling twenty-five yarder which beat the diving figure of Nayler all ends up, only to crash against the inside of the far post and bounce back into the goalmouth. Ali Riley, playing in an unfamiliar central defensive role, but one in which she acquitted herself well, tidied up on this occasion.

More USA pressure followed, Mallory Swanson (nee Pugh), Horan and Lavelle causing all sorts of problems on the left this time, with the first-mentioned eventually whipping in a cross which Morgan was poised to turn home until Nayler's timely intervention.

The Football Ferns continued to work their socks off, with Ava Collins and Gabrielle Rennie in attack, and Grace Jale, Daisy Cleverley, Betsy Hassett and Olivia Chance immediately behind them, forcing plenty of ball movement across the park from their opponents, but very little for their forwards to capitalise upon.

The crowd was enthralled by what they were seeing, evident from the hum of conversation all round the arena. They'd come to the ground expecting to see an under-strength Football Ferns team copping a hiding from the reigning world champions. No one in their wildest dreams had anticipated the underdogs defying the odds to this extent - and anyone who says otherwise is telling porkies!

Five minutes before half-time, and after some tremendous work by Jale on the right, Dunn played Morgan in through the inside left channel, from where she sent a low cross zooming across the face of goal, just beyond the incoming figure of Lavelle, whose off-the-ball movement was a treat to behold.

Two minutes later, danger loomed for the Football Ferns as they conceded a free-kick towards the left flank, about thirty yards from goal. Swanson flighted in a delicious delivery which Horan guided past Nayler and in by the far post … but deflation quickly turned to delight for the home fans as they saw the offside flag being raised - the midfielder had mistimed her run, so the goal was ruled out.

Fine tracking of Purce by Hassett prevented the winger from fully exploiting the space in behind Ward for what proved to be the final time in the shadows of the half-time whistle, the winger being one of four players Team USA introduced at half-time as they looked to step up the pace in an effort to unhinge this defiant Football Ferns display.

It wasn't long before debutant Grace Neville found herself being severely tested by Swanson's swagger down the left, New Zealand's right. The fullback acquitted herself well on her first appearance for her new country - she was an English age-grade international, but has now converted to the land of her mother's birth - but on this occasion, she was roasted by the newly married striker, whose cross to the far post was headed narrowly wide by Trinity Rodman.

Seconds later, Lavelle charged downfield, with challenges to her progress conspicuous by their

absence. Once she got to within twenty yards of goal, the scorer of the trophy-clinching goal in the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup Final let rip with a fierce drive which flew inches past Nayler's right-hand post.

The USA broke the deadlock in the 52nd minute, and, just as her father was on the basketball court for Chicago Bulls, it was Rodman who was the architect of the Football Ferns' demise at Sky Stadium.

The winger galloped down the right before spotting the angled run in off the left of Swanson. Rodman duly delivered a buffet ball of a cross into the space towards which the striker was heading, and Swanson promptly leapt above the startled figure of Riley - Swanson had come in off her blindside - to send a thumping ten yard header flying past Nayler.

It was the first of three goals in eleven minutes for the visitors, but before they doubled their advantage, Anna Green's vital headed clearance prevented a Swanson cross from reaching its intended target, while Nayler saved at the feet of Morgan, an opportunity engineered by the game's first goalscorer.

Cometh the hour, cometh the maestro, as a player who has a prolific goalscoring record against New Zealand notched another goal, much to the despair of the home team and their fans. Morgan's finish, a sumptuous, low acute-angled drive under Nayler and in by the far post, was high quality, but it paled in comparison to the pass which created the opportunity.

Picked out by Horan, Lavelle was up to her tricks again, this time about twenty yards from a goal she wasn't even facing. It mattered not, as the mental snapshot she had taken of the situation meant that when she produced the most sublime back-heeled pass, the ball bisected the two players nearest her then split the defence, allowing Morgan to burst into the penalty area through the inside left channel and go on to do what she's done on 119 previous occasions for her country - score.

What a pass, though! Frankly, it was Messi-esque. That it needed something right out of the top drawer to break the Football Ferns' resistance reflects the respect the world champions have for their spirited opponents, who were still reeling from that blow when the USA delivered another in the 63rd minute.

Two of the half-time substitutes teamed up this time, with Sofia Huerta - a goalscorer for Mexico against the Junior Ferns in the 2012 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Finals - picking out Ashley Sanchez on halfway. Her first touch saw her unleash a peach of a pass through the defence which allowed Swanson to run onto it, round the stranded figure of Nayler and roll the ball home into an empty net - 3-0.

That goal killed off any faint hopes the Football Ferns - and their fans - may have held of the home team fighting back and causing a major shock at the start of FIFA Women's World Cup Finals year.

But the USA wanted more. Rodman rampaged down the right in the 69th minute before pulling the ball back for Sanchez, who rounded a defender then proceeded to steer the ball well past the far post when scoring seemed easier.

Two minutes later, Sanchez sent a header flashing past the post after some splendid defensive work by Huerta - Football Ferns substitute Paige Satchell was beginning to cause the visitors a few problems, but her fellow newcomer's intervention thwarted the speedster on this occasion.

After Grace Wisnewski became Football Fern #200 via a substitute appearance, Nayler then came under friendly fire as Ward, in attempting to head clear, directed the ball straight at her startled goalkeeper, who required two attempts to keep it out and prevent a fourth USA goal.

That was just seconds away, however. Rodman secured possession on the right once more, and delivered a 74th minute cross with laser-like precision, allowing Lynn Williams to leap and expertly guide her header wide of the diving figure of Nayler - 4-0.

The world champions fired just one shot of note in the time remaining, with Nayler capably dealing with a Rodman rocket, but it was the Football Ferns whom the fans were eager to see score, and brief brilliant cameos of their one-on-one skills from Chance and Satchell earned roars of approval aplenty.

One last Kiwi attack earned a corner deep in stoppage time, but Chance's delivery was headed to safety, prompting referee Kate Jacewicz to bring to an end an entertaining encounter won in convincing fashion by the reigning world champions, but not before the Football Ferns had held the USA scoreless for over half the match in front of an impressive - and impressed - record crowd.

Football Ferns: Nayler; Neville (Barry, 77), A. Riley (Anton, 61), Anna Green, Ward (Ally Green, 77); Jale (Satchell, 61), Cleverley (Wisnewski, 71), Hassett, Chance; Collins (I. Riley, 46), Rennie

Team USA: Naeher; Fox, Girma (Cook, 46), Sauerbrunn, Dunn (Huerta, 46); Lavelle (Sanchez, 61), Kornieck (Sullivan, 46), Horan; Purce (Rodman, 46), Morgan, Swanson (Williams, 67)

Referee: Kate Jacewicz (Australia)

Football Ferns build-up