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Early Chinese Goals Cost Football Ferns
by Jeremy Ruane
Two goals in the first ten minutes ultimately proved the difference between China and the Football Ferns in their friendly encounter in the Qinhuangdao Olympic Sports Centre Stadium on July 16.
The hosts won the non-cap-earning, behind-closed-doors international 3-1, the cap-earning status of the match governed by the fact it was played in three thirty-minute periods, as opposed to the standard fixture played in 45-minute halves.
China scored with their first attack, from a fifth minute corner, and again five minutes later, when the Ferns' defenders, despite outnumbering a lone Chinese attacker, couldn't contain the scorer of the game's second goal.
“Two attacks, two goals, 2-0 down after ten minutes”, said coach John Herdman afterwards. “Bu we came back during the rest of the first spell and did enough to threaten, without creating anything clear-cut”.
It was the second thirty-minute period during which the Football Ferns hit their straps in a big way. “We dominated China”, enthused Herdman, “to the extent that they couldn't get out of their own half. Renee Leota and Emma Kete both had a couple of attempts, and it looked like we would break them down, but it wasn't to be”.
At least not in that third. For in the final thirty minutes, the Football Ferns gained due reward for pushing on and applying a period of sustained pressure. Marlies Oostdam motored down the left and arced an inviting cross to the far post, where Ali Riley arrived on cue to fire home her first goal wearing the silver fern since the 2006 Oceania U-20 Women's World Cup qualifying tournament in Samoa.
That made the score 2-1, and Rebecca Tegg came desperately close to levelling matters, her dipping twenty-five yard half-volley being tipped over the bar by China's goalkeeper at the last possible second.
But with the Kiwis pressing on in search of a last-gasp equaliser, China swept downfield on the counter-attack, and completed the scoring with the very last kick of the game.
“I'm really proud of the girls' efforts tonight”, said Herdman. “Playing in hot, humid conditions, and with just fourteen fit outfielders compared to China's 27-strong squad, they kept pushing on and always looked to win the game, particularly in that final third, when he had a few near misses.
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“Emma Kete led from the front tonight, literally, and others responded to her efforts. She put terrificpressure on the Chinese centre-backs, who don't like dealing with that sort of play, so coughed up the ball quite frequently.
“We just seemed to run out of ideas in the attacking third, however. Still, something to work on back on the training ground ahead of our return encounter with China here on Sunday”.
When Herdman first took charge of the national team, in November 2006, China provided the first opposition of his tenure. On that tour, 3-0 and 4-0 defeats were the outcome. Things have changed since then, however.
“We've moved forward, definitely. What's more, we want to keep doing so. We've lost by three, four, even five-goal margins in the recent past, but not now. We're in the game for ninety minutes these days. Now we've just got to get the goals to go with the performances”.
That said, they've just scored a rare goal against a country long held as one of the superpowers of world women's football. Riley's 73rd minute strike is only the second New Zealand has scored against China, the first coming in Canberra in November 1997, when Michele Cox scored from an indirect free-kick in the penalty area.
Well does this writer remember that occasion, particularly the buzz throughout the SWANZ (as they were then known) on the coach back to base as they realised just how well they had played in going down 3-1 to a side which had won Olympic silver the year before, and would only lose the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup Final on penalties.
Talking of spot-kicks, in keeping with the experimental nature of their match, the Steel Roses and the Football Ferns opted to replicate a penalty shoot-out situation after the final whistle, lest they need to decide a match by this means in the later stages of the Olympic Women's Football Tournament.
The Kiwis won 5-4, converting all their penalties while Rachel Howard made the vital save on an occasion which saw Amber Hearn (calf) and Rebecca Smith (thigh) rested as a precaution ahead of Sunday's full international at the same venue.
Line-up: Jenny Bindon (Rachel Howard, 60); Ria Percival, Abby Erceg, Kristy Hill, Anna Green (Marlies Oostdam, 60); Ali Riley, Hayley Moorwood, Katie Hoyle (Emily McColl, 60), Kirsty Yallop; Emma Kete, Renee Leota (Rebecca Tegg, 30) (Merissa Smith, 85)
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