The Football Ferns' hopes of advancing to the knockout stages of the 2024 Olympic Women's Football Tournament were dealt a severe blow at the Groupama Stadium in Lyon on July 28, Colombia convincingly outclassing Michael Mayne's charges 2-0 to leave the Kiwis needing to defeat host nation France - a feat they've never accomplished in four previous attempts - to have any chance to progressing to the quarter-finals. "Las Cafeteras" were the first team to threaten in this contest, the enchanting Linda Caicedo taking on and beating Catherine Bott down New Zealand's right flank before seeing her drive blocked by Katie Bowen. After Indiah-Paige Riley and Malia Steinmetz had fired tame shots from distance which afforded goalkeeper Katherine Tapia no cause for concern, Colombia threatened again, this time via Manuela Pavi's right wing raid which saw her get the better of Mackenzie Barry before crossing to the far post in the hope that Caicedo would get on the end of it. Bott had other ideas - theirs was a game-long battle. Rebekah Stott's thirteenth minute shot on the turn gave the Football Ferns brief hope of opening the scoring, but they failed to capitalise upon the resulting set-piece opportunity. Colombia responded instantly, a lovely piece of skill on the sideline by Caicedo bamboozling Bott and leaving the defender trailing in the winger's wake on the quarter hour. Pavi and Leicy Santos were the beneficiaries of their gifted team-mate's endeavours, the latter drawing a smothered save from Anna Leat, who was relieved to see a Pavi shot deflect to safety off Barry three minutes later as the same trio combined to create havoc once more in the Football Ferns rearguard. While the Football Ferns' squad is very much defence-oriented, "Las Cafeteras" are less defensively inclined, something which Milly Clegg looked to exploit in the 25th minute as Colombia's rearguard got themselves in a right old tangle. Alas for New Zealand, they managed to extricate themselves and very quickly launched a counter-attack which saw Leat perfectly positioned to deal with another effort from Santos, after Jorelyn Carabali and Catalina Usme had combined to good effect. The South Americans weren't done with this attack, however, and swiftly regained possession before earning a free-kick in the 27th minute. Usme's delivery was only half-cleared, the ball falling invitingly for Marcela Restrepo, who unleashed a sumptuous first-time volley from the edge of the penalty area low beyond the diving figure of Leat into the far corner of the net to open the scoring. The goal gave Colombia a massive confidence boost, and they assumed full control after the change of scoreline. They were aided by the Football Ferns' passing shortcomings, which invited further pressure from their opponents, who weren't slow in their efforts to apply it. Only a well-timed tackle by Barry thwarted Pavi just outside the penalty area in the 34th minute, while five minutes before half-time, Caicedo went down inside the box under a challenge from Bott - there was more than a hint of a dive about the winger's going to ground, however, and Korean referee Kim Yu Jeong rightly waved play on. (But didn't book the offender for simulation). Colombia pounded away in vain at the New Zealand goal just before half-time as they looked to put this game to bed with a second strike. Santos' exquisite first touch to control a pass allowed her to play in the overlapping Pavi, whose cross zoomed

across the face of goal. Caicedo was the recipient of it, and she got past Bott before drawing a fine save from Leat at the base of her near post. The 'keeper then saved bravely at the feet of Pavi following a Santos corner, then tipped a dipping eighteen-yarder from Manuela Vanegas onto the bar before plucking the resulting Usme corner out from beneath her crossbar to conclude the half. The introduction of Annalie Longo - her fourth Olympics - and Grace Jale at half-time offered the Football Ferns renewed zest, and they looked to get a foothold in the contest as the second half progressed. Not before Leat had been forced to tip another effort onto the crossbar, however, this time from a 49th minute Usme free-kick awarded after Pavi had conned the referee with an Oscar nomination-worthy reaction to having her face brushed by the fingertips of Stott. (If "Stottie" had intended to hit you, sweetheart, you'd still be in dreamland!) The teams traded efforts on goal after the hour mark, Stott clearing a Pavi drive off the line after Leat had punched out a Santos free-kick, while Bowen was unable to direct her effort on target following a rare Kitching corner. Like buses, you wait for ages, then two materialise within minutes of each other. So, too, here, a 69th minute delivery by Kitching which both Kate Taylor and Indiah-Paige Riley failed to exploit because the ball wasn't on their favoured foot, and the time required to get it onto same was non-existent. Colombia doubled their advantage eighteen minutes from time, with Caicedo as ever the source. She took on all-comers before slipping a pass inside to Santos, who laid the ball back into the stride of Ilana Izquierdo. Her shot crashed against the post, with the rebound being cleared to Vanegas. She swept past an opponent before delivering a low cross to the near post which was cleverly dummied by Usme for the benefit of Santos, who steered a ten yard drive beyond Leat and into the top corner - 2-0. There was no way back for the Football Ferns following this blow, and "Las Cafeteras" looked to build on their advantage in the closing minutes. Caicedo was in the clear on the left in the 81st minute, and cut into the box before seeing her shot deflected past the post by Bowen. Leat then smothered a twenty-yarder from substitute Daniela Montoya, before the Football Ferns mounted a concerted spell of pressure in the dying minutes - too little, too late. Stott sent a twenty yard volley sizzling narrowly past the post before the bounce of the ball didn't favour Kitching as she looked to pounce on a Colombian blunder. At the death, a splendidly timed tackle from Bowen thwarted Santos as she looked to double her tally for the match, but the horse had long since bolted on this one from the Football Ferns' perspective, and they know they'll have it all to do at this venue in three days when taking on host nation France - their future involvement at Paris 2024 hinges on the outcome Colombia:     Tapia; Restrepo, Carabali, D. Arias, Vanegas; C. Arias (Caracas, 85), Izquierdo (Salazar, 89), Usme (Montoya, 77), Caicedo (Quejada Minota, 89); Pavi, Santos Football Ferns:     Leat; Bott, Bowen, Stott, Barry (Foster, 77); Riley, Steinmetz (Longo, 46), Taylor (Rennie, 77), Kitching; Hand (Green, 66), Clegg (Jale, 46) Referee:     Kim Yu Jeong (Korea Republic)