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France

French Come From Behind To Down Football Ferns

by Jeremy Ruane

match photos below taken by Sebastian Duret, www.footofeminin.fr

L to R: Hannah Wilkinson, Rosie White, Betsy Hassett, Amber Hearn, Ali Riley, Rebecca Smith,

Abby Erceg, Katie Hoyle, Anna Green, Jenny Bindon, Hayley Moorwood (c)

New Zealand’s Football Ferns’ hopes of a third successive top-four finish at the Cyprus Cup were dashed by France at the GSP Stadium in Nicosia on March 7, the European side coming from behind to prevail 5-2 over the Oceania champions and clinch second place in the group.

The Kiwis opened the scoring in the sixth minute when Hannah Wilkinson’s low cross, intended for Amber Hearn, saw Sandrine Dusang slide in to attempt a clearance, only for the ball to cannon off French goalkeeper Sarah Bouhaddi into the net.

Four minutes later, they came within inches of doubling their advantage, Hearn shaving the post with a shot after Wilkinson had made in-roads down the left.

After Wendie Renard had gone close with a header following an Elise Bussaglia corner, the French levelled matters in the sixteenth minute. Camille Abily played the ball forward in search of Marie-Laure Delie, only for Abby Erceg to intervene.

But the defender under-hit her back-pass to Jenny Bindon, who, on the occasion of her fiftieth appearance for the Football Ferns, found herself beaten all ends up by Delie, who swooped to score after seventeen minutes.

Delie struck again three minutes later. Camille Abily launched an attack which saw the striker get the better of both Erceg and Rebecca Smith before volleying home beyond Bindon - 2-1, and things were soon to get worse for the Kiwis, with Eugenie Le Sommer netting a third goal in the 25th minute.

Elodie Thomis and Abily linked with Bussaglia, France’s captain for the day, picked out Le Sommer with a cross-field ball from right to left which the midfield general steered across and beyond the despairing dive of Bindon - 3-1, with the French well on course to mark the fiftieth appearance of Thomis on a winning note.

They weren’t so confident seven minutes later, however, as the Football Ferns reduced the deficit. Anna Green whipped in a vicious in-swinging corner which struck the underside of the crossbar and was adjudged to have crossed the line by the referee before Bouhaddi could retrieve the situation.

Both teams had a number of opportunities in the second spell. Half-time substitutes Sabrina Vigieur and Gaetane Thiney combined on the hour for Les Tricolores, only for Bindon to save at the feet of the latter, who was recently voted the most glamorous woman in French sport in 2010 via an internet poll organised by Eurosport!

Bindon denied Delie her hat-trick soon afterwards, but was beaten fourteen minutes from time after Delie picked out Thiney with a superb pass. The striker rounded the ‘keeper, only for Erceg to thwart her attempt to restore France’s two-goal advantage.

The Football Ferns’ latest fiftieth cap recipient was being kept busy by the French, but after saving one effort from Louise Necib, she was beaten by another from the substitute, Rebecca Smith this time intervening for the Football Ferns’ benefit.

At the other end of the park, half-time substitute Emma Kete saw a six-yard header superbly saved by Bouhaddi after substitute Olivia Chance, who entered the fray with sixteen minutes remaining, had weaved her way through three challenges before picking out her team-mate with a measured cross

Eight minutes from time, the French finally got the breakthrough they had sought. A corner was cleared to Necib, who picked out Delie with a cross which the striker headed home past Bindon from six yards to complete her hat-trick.

Two minutes later, France wrapped up their 5-2 victory via their captain. Substitute Sonia Bompastor worked an opening with Bussaglia from a corner which allowed the midfielder to let fly from twenty-five yards, the ball cannoning into the net off the underside of the crossbar.

Football Ferns coach, John Herdman, was philosophical about things afterwards. "It was a very exciting first half - real end-to-end stuff, very open, with good opportunities for both teams. In parts of the first half, we were very strong. But we lost cohesion after making some changes at half-time and produced a very uncharacteristic second half display as a result".

While there were positives to take from the match, Herdman openly acknowledges there were learning points aplenty also. "The biggest of them is, if we want to play the brand of football we’re striving to, we’ve got to get smarter.

"We’re at a point in our development where we’re trying to strike the right balance in the style of football we’re endeavouring to play. We could go back to being a lot tighter defensively, but then we wouldn’t offer much of an offensive threat - witness our performances at the Peace Queen Cup against Korea and England, for example.

"Instead, we’re looking to attack, giving our fullbacks licence to roam and attack inside and outside. The goal we scored against Switzerland was a good example of this, with Ali Riley crossing to the far post where Anna Green was arriving to head the ball down".

It doesn’t look too rosy when the moves conclude prematurely, however. Every goal France scored in this match ultimately stemmed from a New Zealand mistake, be it a stray pass, poor control … no sooner did the French latch onto the ball then they were bearing down on goal three or four passes later, their strikers often finding Rebecca Smith, Abby Erceg and Jenny Bindon their only obstacles en route to the target.

"The central defenders played well, despite what the scoreline suggests", says Herdman, "while others to shine in this match were Green - she’s been outstanding, so far, despite the fact she’s nursing a hamstring strain - and Betsy Hassett, who had a strong first half.

"Hannah Wilkinson’s was an improved performance, while Emma Kete also put in a positive showing, and Ali Riley was strong and consistent, something we’re trying to be collectively as we bid to find the balance between over-committing in attack and being solid defensively in our preparations for Germany".

Those preparations continue at 11pm on Wednesday night, NZ time, at the Tassos Marcou Stadium in Paralimni, where the play-off for seventh place will see the Football Ferns taking on their fellow FIFA Women’s World Cup group members Mexico - not exactly the ideal fixture this close to Germany 2011, but nonetheless a chance for the Kiwis to strike a psychological blow over opponents they will face in Sinsheim on July 5.

New Zealand: Bindon; Riley, Erceg, Smith, Green (Percival, 46); Hassett (Chance, 74), Moorwood (Yallop, 46), Hoyle, White (Gregorius, 65); Hearn (Longo, 79), Wilkinson (Kete, 46)

France: Bouhaddi; Dusang (Viguier, 46), Renard, Georges, Boulleau (Bompastor, 65); Pizzala (Soubeyrand, 65), Bussaglia, Le Sommer (Necib, 46), Abily (Thiney, 46), Thomis (Lepailleur, 77); Delie

In the other Group B encounter, Holland made no race of it against Switzerland, two goals in the first seven minutes from Kirsten van de Ven setting up a 6-0 victory at the Ammochostos Stadium in Larnaca.

She completed her hat-trick just after the half-hour mark, while Chantal de Ridder and Daniek Stein struck inside the first six minutes of the second spell to put the result beyond doubt. De Ridder wrapped up the scoring nine minutes from time to confirm the Dutch as group winners.

Their opponents in the Cyprus Cup Final will be Canada, goals either side of half-time from Christine Sinclair and Brittany Timko securing a 2-0 win for the cup-holders over England, who finished behind Scotland on the Group A table after they drew 0-0 with Italy.

In Group C action, Mexico gave themselves a chance of finishing top of the table by downing Northern Ireland 3-1. Charlyn Corral was the beneficiary of a dubious refereeing decision to open the scoring for the Mexicans in the 32nd minute.

Six minutes later Maribel Dominguez doubled their lead from the penalty spot after Irish defender Julie Nelson had handled the ball in the area, with New Zealand’s World Cup Finals’ group rivals retaining that advantage through to half-time.

The deficit was halved by the Irish nine minutes into the second spell when Rachel Furness headed home a Nelson free-kick, and they came desperately close to levelling the scores on a handful of occasions before, five minutes from time, a long-range strike from Nancy Gandarilla careered past a flat-footed Emma Higgins to clinch victory for the CONCACAF contenders.

Korea Republic finished top of the group thanks to a 2-1 win over Russia, brought about by goals in each half from Ji So Yun, after five minutes, and Yeo Min Ji, her first for her country securing victory twelve minutes from time. Ekaterina Sochneva struck Russia’s lone reply to temporarily level the scores seconds earlier, while Korean goalkeeper Jun Min Kyung saved a penalty.

Canada and Holland will contest the Cyprus Cup Final on Thursday morning, while France take on Scotland in the third place play-off. England will lock horns with the Korea Republic for fifth place, while Mexico and the Football Ferns contest seventh place. Italy and Russia will duel for ninth position, while the battle for the wooden spoon sees Northern Ireland up against Switzerland.

Across the Mediterranean, the USA and Iceland set themselves up for a clash in the Algarve Cup Final with contrasting victories. Goals inside the first thirteen minutes from Shannon Boxx and Carli Lloyd set up the Americans for a 4-0 win over Finland, with Alex Morgan scoring their other goals either side of half-time.

Iceland, meanwhile, edged out Denmark 1-0 thanks to a goal from Dora Larusdottir ten minutes into the second half. The teams who will clash in the third place play-off also scored one-goal victories, with Yuki Nagasato on target for Japan just shy of the hour mark as they overcame Norway, while Sweden’s Lotta Schelin was the markswoman in the 63rd minute of their 1-0 win over China.

In Group C, Wales emerged as the table-toppers thanks to a 2-1 win over Chile. Jessica Fishlock opened the scoring half-way through the first half for the Welsh, and doubled their lead on the hour.

Daniela Zamora pulled a goal back for Chile, but it was too little too late for the South Americans, who finished bottom of the group. Meanwhile, Edite Fernandes’ goal four minutes before half-time for Portugal was cancelled out seven minutes prior to the final whistle by Rumania’s Stefania Vatafu in their 1-1 draw.

Prior to the USA’s attempt to win the Algarve Cup for the eighth time against an Iceland side making its first appearance in the final, Japan and Sweden will dispute third place. Norway and Denmark clash in the fifth place play-off, while Wales take on China for seventh spot.

Portugal and Finland will meet for the second time in three years in these play-offs, this time with ninth place at stake, while Chile and Rumania, who finished seventh last year, will fight out the wooden spoon encounter.