A second half super show from Japan saw them come from behind to down the Football Ferns 4-1 at the Estadio Enrique Roca de Murcia on 2 June, as both teams played their final match before the Olympic Women's Football Tournament in Paris. A third minute scare apart - Riko Ueki steered a shot past the far post after being picked out by Hikaru Kitagawa's cross - the Football Ferns played a terrific half of football, with Malia Steinmetz an absolute monster in midfield, closely supported by Kate Taylor. Between them, they forced Japan backwards, winning the ball well, intercepting passes, and inspiring their team-mates to go forth and threaten. And in this match, interim coach Michael Mayne employed just the player to provide a goal threat, and she didn't half deliver in the 22nd minute. Meikayla Moore played a free-kick wide to Ally Green, who directed it into the feet of Milly Clegg. The youngster turned Hana Takahashi before darting inside and hammering a rocket into the roof of Japan's net from twelve yards - 1-0 to the Football Ferns, and their performance fully merited their lead. That was the first genuine threat on goal by either side, and New Zealand came desperately close to doubling their advantage nine minutes later. Clegg, again, was the catalyst, this time turning Japanese captain Saki Kumagai every which way before whipping in a cross with which Grace Jale, sliding in on the far post, just failed to make contact. Nadeshiko Japan provided their first threat in response to going behind on the scoreboard eight minutes before half-time, Aoba Fujino's teasing cross flying across the face of goal after in-roads were made down the right flank, New Zealand's left. A minute later, Kitagawa sent a cross zooming across the bows of Ueki - they were starting to go through the gears now, and on the stroke of half-time Fuka Nagano split the defence with a gem of a pass which invited a shot on the turn from Ueki. The ball rolled past the far post. There was only one team in it after the interval, Japan tearing into the task facing them with ferocity, their accuracy and intensity at a far higher level than was seen in the first forty-five minutes. A stray pass from Grace Neville opened the door for them, but Fujino, in a three-on-three, was greedy, going for goal when those either side of her were better placed to take full advantage of the situation. Anna Leat, untested in the first spell, saved at her near post on this occasion, but within sixty seconds was fishing the ball out of her net. Japan earned a corner, which was played short to Yui Hasegawa. Her delivery into the penalty area was cleared to half-time substitute Maika Hamano, who hit a fulminating twenty yard volley through the gathered throngs and into the bottom far corner, with the unsighted Leat powerless to prevent it. Japan smelt blood, and swiftly moved in for the kill. Bott's vital block prevented Remina Chiba from being able to capitalise upon Momoko Tanikawa's through ball two minutes later, while the Football Ferns were afforded a real let-off in the 54th minute when Chiba raced onto Kumagai's ball over the top and fired past the stranded figure of Leat, but also

past the far post. Unperturbed, Nadeshiko kept pressing, and were rewarded with a second goal on the hour. A quickly taken free-kick in the centre circle by Hasegawa found Hamano racing through the inside right channel into the penalty area, from where she lashed the ball past Leat and into the far corner of the net - 2-1. Seconds after Tanikawa was denied a goal for handling the ball before stashing it, Japan made it 3-1 in the 66th minute, with more than a little help from Leat. Her lazy clearance was intercepted by Hinata Miyazawa, and Fujino latched onto the ball in an instant before rifling home from twenty yards. Clegg nearly made things interesting straight from the kick-off. Pouncing on a rare error from the otherwise excellent Hasegawa, the Football Ferns' goalscorer instinctively let fly from twenty yards. Alas for New Zealand, the ball was directed straight at goalkeeper Ayaka Yamashita. It was a scare Japan heeded, and they continued to make every post a winning one thereafter. Nineteen minutes from time, Fujino made a run across the top of the penalty area before spotting Hasegawa's angled run into same. A slide-rule pass into the playmaker's stride duly followed, prompting an eight yard piledriver which Leat fielded square in her midriff. Five minutes later, Nadeshiko carved the Kiwis open with a lovely attack. Chiba's sweeping ball wide to Risa Shimizu was followed by a pass inside to Hasegawa, whose first time shot flashed narrowly past the far post. Ten minutes from time, another lazy clearance from Leat invited further trouble. Moeka Minami pounced on the ball this time and sent Chiba hurtling through the under-pressure rearguard. The striker's shot was saved by the outstretched leg of Leat, with the ball being cleared for a throw-in. If the 'keeper thought that denial made amends for her blunder, she had another thing coming, 'cause from the throw-in, a Fujino shot was blocked by Bowen. The ball ricocheted to Miyabi Moriya, whose deft angled header allowed Chiba to nip in and tuck home Japan's fourth goal of the afternoon. Once Hasegawa was withdrawn from the fray soon afterwards, the contest drew to a close, although a good piece of defending by Bott late on in the piece prevented Chiba from netting her second and Japan's fifth goal. 4-1 was more than suffice from their perspective, however, particularly given they were forced to come from behind by a New Zealand team which again showed potential to compete with the best in the first half, but were a well beaten team in the second spell, a situation not aided by Leat's ongoing distribution issues which were directly responsible for two of the goals. Japan:          Yamashita; Takahashi, Kumagai, Minami; Shimizu, Hasegawa (Koga, 82), Miyazawa (Moriya, 73), Fujino, Nagano (Tanikawa, 46), Kitagawa (Chiba, 46); Ueki (Hamano, 46 (booked, 89)) Football Ferns:     Leat; Bott, Moore (Bunge, 65), Bowen, Neville (Barry, 77); Jale, Steinmetz (Cleverley, 65), Taylor (Kitching, 59), Green (booked, 39 (Foster, 59)); Clegg, Hand (Rennie, 77) Referee:     Jason Barcelo (Gibraltar)