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Beaten, Disappointed, But Far From Disgraced

by Jeremy Ruane

New Zealand bowed out of the FIFA Women's World Cup Finals in front of the biggest crowd this country's female footballers have ever played in front of on September 20, as host nation China progressed to the quarter-finals on the back of a 2-0 win over the Football Ferns at the Tianjin Olympic Centre Stadium.

A sell-out crowd of 55,832 bayed the Chinese on to victory, producing an unreal atmosphere which Chinese Army helicopters circling overhead the stadium enhanced still further - it was an absolutely incredible scene, and Lord alone knows what would have happened had the Football Ferns neglected the local script.

Come the interval, we found out. Given the virtually constant wall of sound in which the first half had been played, near silence followed the half-time whistle of poorly performed referee Dagmar Damkova, a tribute to another outstanding defensive display from the Kiwis, who, for the second successive encounter, went to the dressing rooms with a 0-0 scoreline to show for their sterling efforts.

The Steel Roses responded to the challenge with which they were faced from the very first whistle. Jenny Bindon was forced to tip a Zhang Ouying shot round the post inside the first fifty seconds, after Ma Xiaoxu's cross had been headed out by Maia Jackman.

Two minutes later, Marlies Oostdam headed clear Wang Kun's ball forward, but only as far as Zhou Gaoping, who let rip from distance and was only narrowly astray.

The first evidence that referee Damkova was set to become the latest victim of the intimidating atmosphere which the Chinese support is capable of producing materialised in the seventh minute, when she completely ignored a clear-cut foul on Emily McColl in the centre circle.

China took full advantage as the Football Ferns collectively gave the referee filthy looks, and Ouying romped down the right before whipping in a cross for Han Duan. The striker headed over the bar on this occasion, but worse was to come for the charismatic number nine.

Before she had another chance, New Zealand enjoyed one, in the tenth minute. Hayley Moorwood sent Ria Percival racing down the right, a sight which prompted a nervous sound from the Chinese crowd.

Her cross was blocked for a corner, which Oostdam whipped into the goalmouth. Chinese goalkeeper Zhang Yanru plucked the ball from the sky, but the Football Ferns were encouraged by this development.

Back came China, with a scintillating move down the right featuring Kun, Xie Caixia, Bi Yan and Ouying. Oostdam put an end to it with a tackle of similar quality to the move, while it was from an unlikely source that the next opportunity materialised, on the quarter hour.

A poor Bindon goal-kick was pounced on by Xiaoxu, who immediately threaded the ball through behind New Zealand's defensive line. Rebecca Smith's despairing efforts to play the ball back to Bindon fell short, and Ouying was in with just the `keeper to beat.

Bindon spread herself superbly to thwart the striker, but the rebound was swooped on by Duan. She charged into the penalty area, but the combined efforts of Abby Erceg and Jackman proved suffice to prompt a shot into the side-netting.

New Zealand were next to raid, a piece of magic from Moorwood in the centre circle completely flummoxing Pan Lina, who could only look on as her opponent cheekily flicked the ball over her head, ran round and gathered it before releasing Percival down the right once more. This time, her cross was too far in front of Wendi Henderson for the veteran front-runner to take advantage.

Another poor decision by Damkova presented China with a corner soon afterwards. Yan's delivery was flicked on at the near post by Caixia for Duan, but her tame header was meat and drink for Bindon, who blocked a Xiaoxu cross for a corner after the reigning Asian Women's Player of the Year received a free-kick from Yan and proceeded to get round the outside of both Percival and Erceg before letting fly.

Yan's shot from the resulting corner fizzed over the crossbar, before a McColl-inspired New Zealand raid just on the half-hour mark was deserving of better fate. The midfielder did well to engineer an opening for Oostdam, who picked out Percival with a cross field ball.

Her cross was flicked on by Henderson, but behind Ali Riley, which prompted an instant Chinese counter-attack. Kun surged forward before switching play splendidly to Xiaoxu, whose rasping twenty-five yarder stung Bindon's gloves.

The Football Ferns kept their more vaunted counterparts at bay well throughout the next ten minutes, with China unable to produce any scoring opportunities of note until five minutes before the break.

Typical of the Kiwis' determination was the fearless tackling of Moorwood and Oostdam, as they thwarted a Xiaoxu free-kick just outside the penalty area. As a result of their efforts, the ball found its way to Yan, near the left-hand by-line. She played the ball back into Xiaoxu, who rattled the side-netting with her shot.

This sparked a flurry of opportunities for China before the interval, but on each occasion, they encountered a white wall which was determined not to be breached. Priscilla Duncan and Oostdam both got tackles in on Duan just outside the penalty area, but the striker still found a way through, only for Erceg and Jackman to again force her to fire into the side-netting.

Seconds later, Caixia fired over a deep cross for Yan, who headed the ball down to Duan. Moorwood was on her in an instant, making Bindon's subsequent save one of the easiest she had to make all evening.

Still China pressed, with Xiaoxu again getting round the outside of Percival and Erceg to whip in a cross. Jackman's desperation was there for all to see as she flung herself at the ball. Fortune favoured her on this occasion, as her header cannoned off Bindon to safety.

The sound of the half-time whistle was sweet music to the New Zealand team and their supporters, and meant they were 45 minutes from history - the country's first point at a senior World Cup Finals.

China, of course, weren't the least little bit interested in reading that script, but the hosts were roused into life by Oostdam's rasping 47th minute drive, which Yanru grabbed. Downfield the Steel Roses streamed, Caixia leading the charge down the right before whipping in a wicked cross to the near post. Smith's superb clearance under pressure, while facing her own goal, typified the Football Ferns' resilience.

Another free-kick of a decidedly dubious nature which China benefited from materialised in the 49th minute. Caixia's delivery was headed wide by Kun, while five minutes later, the same player directed her headed effort at Bindon, on receipt of a Gaoping free-kick.

In the 57th minute, two sounds were heard in the Tianjin Olympic Centre Stadium - a massive roar from the Chinese fans, and the less audible but nonetheless distinct breaking of Kiwi hearts.

Duncan was booked for a tackle - she joined Moorwood in the book for a similar indiscretion, and Gaoping's resulting free-kick floated into the penalty area. Bindon came out to gather it, but Li Jie rose ahead of her, and sent a header looping over the `keeper, Smith and Jackman, and into the far corner of the net.

You couldn't have heard a pin drop, that's for sure. The Chinese fans went ballistic - this was the goal they coveted, the one which could well take them into the Women's World Cup quarter-finals.

But the Kiwis, despite the setback, came right back at the Steel Roses, with Oostdam and McColl combining to present Percival with a shooting chance on the hour. Yanru saved her twenty-yarder, but was beaten all ends up by a clever free-kick two minutes later, with Percival playing the ball into Oostdam. Her angled cross found Jackman, who headed down to Erceg, six yards out with the goal at her mercy. Had she not been offside …

China surged back, Caixia leading the way on receipt of a pass from Duan, who probed the void behind the retreating figure of Erceg successfully. Bindon raced out to save at the midfielder's feet, then threw the ball out to McColl. She hoisted the ball forward, and sent substitute Zoe Thompson scurrying forward.

With virtually her first touch, she left the stumbling figure of Jie on the seat of her pants and looking on in horror at the sight of the New Zealand striker bearing down on goal with just Yanru to beat.

She did that comfortably, but the sight of the ball careering past the far post swiftly saw Thompson burying her head in her hands - she knew she had spurned the Football Ferns' chance of an equaliser. But would China make them pay for it?

In the 67th minute, Gaoping's probing pass was missed by both Percival and Erceg, prompting Jackman to dive in to prevent Xiaoxu's progress. The Chinese star got the better of the Kiwi, and promptly switched the ball to Duan, who saw Bindon smother her shot.

Fifteen minutes from time, China mounted a virtual onslaught of attacks which ultimately broke the Football Ferns' resistance for a second time. Jackman headed off the line to deny Duan, while Bindon proved a fabulous fingertip save to turn Ouying's close range header over the crossbar, the same piece of metal which Xiaoxu rattled in ferocious fashion seconds later.

As their opponents reeled, the Steel Roses pressed once more, and in the 79th minute, clinched victory with a well-taken strike. Xiaoxu sparked the move, but it was the clever pass by Ouying which made the goal, a delightfully angled ball which gave Caixia the run of the right flank,

Into the penalty area swept the wide midfielder, who stepped inside the lunging figure of Smith before ramming the ball in between Bindon and the despairing dive of Jackman to clinch China's quarter-final spot and, on a personal note, the Player of the Match honours.

In the minutes which remained, New Zealand looked to sign off their China 2007 campaign with the goal their efforts over the course of the week deserved. But it wasn't to be, despite the best efforts of Oostdam and substitute Simone Carmichael (nee Ferrara), whose mere presence on the park for the last eight minutes completed a stunning recovery from a snapped Achilles tendon.

But her World Cup dream, like that of her team-mates, New Zealand's management and the hardy supporters who travelled round China following the Football Ferns' fortunes was over, and while they were beaten, and disappointed at not clinching a point or scoring a goal at the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup Finals, by Godfathers, they were far from disgraced.

Coach John Herdman praised the Chinese public for their support. “This was a fantastic occasion for the Chinese public, and my thanks to them for the experience, and for making this a dream come true for us. That atmosphere tonight will stay in the memories of our players for time immemorial.

“We came into this tournament with our eyes wide open. Our entire strategy tonight was to frustrate the Chinese players. But it's a crime to concede a goal from a set-piece in the Women's World Cup, and we're disappointed to have done so.

“Once that goal went in, our spirit was broken for a few minutes, but we regathered, and could have scored soon after through Zoe Thompson, which could very easily have broken China's spirit.

“We have to play a certain way to counter the Han Duan's and Ma Xiaoxu's of this world, because we don't have players of that calibre. Instead, we've got 16-year-olds, 17-year-olds, players in their early twenties, who'll all be at the next World Cup and the next Olympics. Hopefully you'll be talking about New Zealand players at those.

“I've referred to our `X-factor' at this tournament a great deal in these media conferences. For us, it's the team behind the team - the NZ Football staff, such as CEO Graham Seatter and Head of Women's Football, Michele Cox, the management team, and all those who've played a part in this team getting to where they are.

“The players know and believe that everyone believes in them, and that drives them to fulfil another typical Kiwi trait - keep on going, no matter what. For this team to have pushed Brazil, Denmark and China to their limits is a great achievement. They'll be all the stronger for this experience, and in nine months' time, we'll be stronger still - we'll see you again!”

Captain Rebecca Smith reflected on the tournament afterwards. “I'm highly proud of this team. The amount of effort they put in, and the amount of heart they played with was incredible. We've come a long way, and improved with every game.

“When you consider this squad first came together in April, just prior to the Oceania qualifiers in Papua New Guinea, their development in the ensuing five months has been tremendous.

“The commitments and sacrifices made by this squad of non-professional players, and how much we have demanded of our younger players in particular, shouldn't go unmentioned.

“This has been a wonderful tournament for us, and the Chinese fans have given us a lot of support, until tonight's game, of course. We really appreciated it, and greatly enjoyed our time here”.

There were tears aplenty following the final whistle in Tianjin, those of sadness mixing with those of pride at the efforts of this young squad, the youngest on show in China. The Football Ferns' focus now turns towards next year's Olympic qualifying clash against Papua New Guinea, but the memories of China will linger long.

Football Ferns: Bindon; Erceg, Jackman, R. Smith, Oostdam; Percival (M. Smith, 73), Moorwood (booked, 25), Duncan (booked, 56), McColl (Carmichael, 82), Riley; Henderson (Thompson, 62)

China: Zhang Yanru; Wang Kun, Li Jie, Pu Wei, Zhou Gaoping (Liu Yali, 65 (booked, 72)); Xie Caixia, Bi Yan, Pan Lina (Zhang Tong, 60), Ma Xiaoxu; Zhang Ouying (Liu Sa, 88), Han Duan

Referee: Dagmar Damkova (Czech Republic)

2007 FIFA Women's World Cup Finals