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Australia
Matildas Again Too Strong For Gallant SWANZ
by Jeremy Ruane
Australia recorded their ninth consecutive victory over New Zealand in international women's soccer on April 13, the Matildas' 2-0 triumph over the SWANZ securing the host nation of the Oceania Football Confederation's Women's World Cup qualifying series the Confederations' berth at the 2003 Women's World Cup Finals in China in September.
The SWANZ gave their all and then some in succumbing to their arch-rivals at Canberra's Belconnen Soccer Centre, but were made to pay for a couple of lapses by opponents whose victory means they have made the Women's World Cup Finals for the third time in succession.
But it was the Kiwis who engineered the first opening of the match, in the eighth minute. Simone Ferrara's free-kick from twenty-five yards was headed on by Rebecca Smith, but Matildas' goalkeeper Melissa Barbieri grabbed the ball under Maia Jackman's challenge.
The Matildas were quick to strike back, acting captain Sacha Wainwright - in the absence of injured skipper Cheryl Salisbury - exploiting some space on the left flank before whipping in a cross. Smith steered it to safety, but it was a warning for the SWANZ.
Down the right flank was the next avenue of attack for the home team, who were buoyed on by a crowd some 2000-strong, with only thirty-odd Kiwis giving the SWANZ any encouragement.
Rhian Davies played the ball forward for Gillian Foster to pursue, and her cross from the byline had Heather Garriock as its target. SWANZ goalkeeper Yvonne Vale had other ideas, however, and intercepted stylishly at the near post in the twentieth minute.
Four minutes later, Vale was looking despairingly at the ball as it rolled agonisingly past her diving frame and in by the far post to open the scoring. At the heart of the goal was Fijian referee Rajendra Singh's decision to wave play on, following a midfield collision between Ferrara and Bryony Duus.
Joanne Peters was first to react to the lack of a call by the official, and roared down the left before slicing inside across two defenders and angling a shot past the valiant Vale from the edge of the penalty area.
Stung, the SWANZ sought a prompt reply, with Nicky Smith's twenty-five yard free-kick dipping onto the roof of the net three minutes later. But a poor headed clearance by Terry McCahill - the experienced SWANZ campaigner was soon to succumb to a stomach virus - was pounced on by Garriock, who fired in a cross for the Matildas' leading goalscorer, April Mann. She fired wildly wide on this occasion.
Three minutes before the interval, Garriock fired a thirty-yard free-kick at Vale, but the sound of the half-time whistle allowed the SWANZ to make more permanent arrangements to their line-up following the departure of the hugely influential McCahill.
They almost paid dividends straight from the start of the second half of a physical encounter, with Zarnia Cogle - now operating at left-back - releasing Nicky Smith down that flank. Priscilla Duncan was flying through from midfield to support Jackman in anticipation of a cross, but the youngster's run was matched by that of Wainwright, whose defensive tracking on this occasion prevented a near-certain equaliser.
It was a key moment in the game, for two minutes later, Australia doubled their advantage. Jane Simpson opted to clear the ball out of play under pressure when a pass to Vale was on, and the resulting throw-in found Danielle Small in way too much space. She made the most of it, planting a twenty-yard drive into the top far corner of the net, just beyond Vale's despairing dive.
The SWANZ heads dropped briefly, and both Garriock and Small were prevented from taking advantage by Vale, who saved superbly low to her right from the former, then, despite slipping under pressure, managing to concede a throw-in, rather than a goal, under the latter's challenge.
Mann then hit the crossbar with an angled twenty-yard drive, before Vale again came to the SWANZ rescue, thwarting Small at close quarters before grabbing a cross
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 What was at stake - the Oceania Women's World Cup qualifying trophy.
While the writer got his hands on it in this pic, the SWANZ will do so again, rest assured!!
But for a couple of lapses, they came close to doing so on this occasion.
And while I don't like losing at the best of times, in this match, the SWANZ did everything they could to overcome the "old enemy" - compared to our last performance against Australia, this was infinitely better, even though it was another defeat.
This time, however, every single one of the girls gave their all and then some for the full ninety minutes - they were running on fumes at the finish, but the Aussies knew they'd been in a game this time round.
There were only a dozen or so supporters who went across to cheer on the SWANZ, including myself, and I'm sure I speak for those supporters when I say I'm bloody proud of every single one of the women who pulled on the white jersey with the silver fern on it on April 13, 2003.
Thanks for your efforts, gang!
Your time will come!
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from Foster which both Small and Mann were intent on turning home.
Kelly Jarden then blocked a Mann cross to safety, after Peters had flicked on a Barbieri clearance. The SWANZ responded through substitute Hayley Moorwood, whose constant pressing down the right flank kept forcing Australia to play the ball ever backwards, until Barbieri was forced to save at the feet of the defiant head-banded replacement.
The Kiwis gained heart from this flourish, with Ferrara and Rebecca Smith linking on the left in the 68th minute, the latter's cross being saved by Barbieri at the feet of the tournament's leading goalscorer, Jackman, who, with Nicky Smith, did a sterling job in defending from the front throughout.
Five minutes later, the SWANZ skipper was in action at the other end of the park, thwarting Garriock after Small and substitute Amy Wilson had teamed up to prise open the SWANZ defence.
A minute later, Small was in on goal with just Vale to beat, the SWANZ rearguard beating a hasty retreat to support their custodian. Vale did superbly, taking enough pace off Small's goalbound shot to allow Simpson to get back and clear off the line.
The same defender was uncompromising in the tackle sixty seconds later, Peters her victim, after the Matildas' midfield general caught SWANZ substitute Rachel Doody in possession, the challenge sufficiently jarring the youngster's knee to such an extent that she herself was soon replaced by the squad's most-capped player, Wendi Henderson.
Wilson and Peters both squandered chances they should have done better with soon after, before the tireless Ferrara and Nicky Smith forced an opening on the left from which the latter fired a twenty-five yarder at Barbieri.
The Matildas weren't content with just the two goals to show for their efforts, however, and only fine tracking by Henderson in the 82nd minute, a headed clearance by Jarden from Small three minutes later, and a save by Vale from Duus four minutes from time prevented them from adding to their tally. 2-0 was Australia's lot, however, not that they were complaining at the final whistle!
"It was a really satisfying victory", said acting captain, Wainwright, afterwards. "It was quite a physical battle, but it always is when New Zealand are up against us. But we continued to try to play, and got our combinations working at times, which helped see us through".
"We're building a momentum at present which, while it's not going to happen immediately, should see us close to realising our target of breaking into the world's top four women's soccer-playing nations by 2008", said Matildas' coach, Adrian Santrac. "But we're very quickly getting to the point where we can be very competitive against them".
SWANZ captain, Rebecca Smith, was understandably disappointed with the result. "I'm never satisfied unless we win. But I'm very proud of the team - they did tremendously well, given what we've gone through.
"It always helps to get these competitive games to help our development", she said at the conclusion of what was just the SWANZ ninety-seventh international. "But Australia played with pace, and are a very strong side".
Smith's coach, Sandy Davie, for whom the final whistle marked the end of his contract with New Zealand Soccer, echoed these sentiments, but was keen to pay tribute to his side.
"To a woman, they gave everything they had tonight for ninety minutes, and deserve every bit of credit going. I feel privileged to have coached these players - they've done themselves and their country proud".
SWANZ: Vale; Simpson, McCahill (Moorwood, 36), R. Smith, Jarden; Keinzley (Doody, 67 (Henderson, 78)), Ferrara, Duncan, Cogle; N. Smith, Jackman
Matildas: Barbieri; Davies, Alagich, Slatyer; Foster, Duus, Peters, Wainwright; Mann (Wilson, 63), Small, Garriock (Tarp, 83)
Ref.: Rajendra Singh
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