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Korea Republic
Fourth Straight Loss For Football Ferns
by Jeremy Ruane
The realities of transition are beginning to bite for the Football Ferns after they suffered their fourth consecutive defeat on 6 March, the first time they have copped as many losses on the trot since a five-match losing streak in 2011.
Two goals in as many minutes early in the second half of their final Cyprus Cup group game at the Antonis Papadopoulos Stadium in Larnaca earned Korea Republic a 2-0 win over Tony Readings' charges, who are looking to implement a new playing formation while hampered by injuries to and the absence of key personnel.
It translates to 'short-term pain, long-term gain' for New Zealand's shop window side, whose sights are set on the qualification matches and showpiece fixtures at the other end of this latest four-year international cycle, the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup Finals in France, and the 2020 Olympic Women's Football Tournament in Tokyo.
In this latest encounter with the Koreans - the Football Ferns have beaten them just once on ten occasions, both teams got into threatening positions against resolute defences, but the Asian team made more of their opportunities.
"We had a couple of one-on-ones", said coach Tony Readings afterwards, "and made a mess of a free header very late in the match. But we didn't make the most of our openings, although Korea did defend very well".
Following a scoreless first half, the deadlock was broken five minutes after half-time when Jang Seul-ki met a cross on the volley which crashed against the crossbar, Kang Yu-mi reacting quickly to turn home the rebound from close range.
Two minutes later, Kim Hye-ri's free-kick was met by the head of Ji So-yeon, who added another goal to her impressive tally for the Koreans - she is very close to averaging a goal every other game for her country, and on this occasion did so at the expense of Erin Nayler on the occasion of her fiftieth appearance in all matches for the Football Ferns - she is fast closing in on the fifty cap milestone.
"The team generally played very well", said Readings, "with Katie Bowen - she's had a very strong tournament - and Rebekah Stott - this was one of her best performances - the stand-out individuals.
"A special mention, too, to substitute Daisy Cleverley, for whom this was her first appearance for the Football Ferns since 2014. She came on for the last 35 minutes and was very calm and composed, and made the step-up to this level very nicely".
The Football Ferns' final game at the Cyprus Cup takes place at Tasos Marko in Paralimni, where Hungary lie in wait in the play-off for ninth place, which kicks off at 10pm on Wednesday, NZ time.
It's a tight turnaround time for the players, who'll be in action again less than forty hours after the Korean encounter. Readings has already watched two videos of the Kiwis' next opponents, and suggests his charges will need to maintain high levels of concentration in defence, particularly, in this first-ever clash between the countries in a women's international.
"They're a very organised side who are strong on the ball, and will be hard to break down. They have quite skilful link players in both midfield and attack, and like all the European teams we've seen here - Austria in particular, have greatly improved".
Korea Republic: Kang Gaae; Jang Seul-ki (Lee Eun-mi, 89), Kim Do-yeon (Lim Seon-joo, 66), Sin Dam-yeong, Kim Hye-ri; Cho Soh-yun, Kwon Eun-som (Lee So-dam, 46), Ji So-yeon (Hong Hye-ji, 82), Choe Yu-ri; Kang Yu-mi (Moon Mi-ra, 58), Yu Yeong-a (Lee Geum-min, 46)
Football Ferns: Nayler; Percival (Bott, 70), Moore, Stott, Riley; Longo (Phillips, 75), Bowen, Hassett (Cleverley, 55); Wilkinson (Pereira, 60), Hearn (Puketapu, 80), White
The Koreans' win earned them a place in the Cyprus Cup Final, where they will take on Switzerland after they emphatically thumped Italy 6-0 in the curtain-raiser to the Football Ferns' match.
Fabienne Humm gave the Swiss the ideal start, scoring in the sixth minute, an advantage doubled by Geraldine Reuteler's effort half-way through the first half. When Lia Walti netted just after the half-hour mark, it became an exercise in damage limitation for the Italians, who conceded three more goals in the second spell.
Reuteler bagged her second goal of the game five minutes into the second half, while two goals in three minutes inside the final ten from Ana Maria Crnogorcevic, one of which was a penalty, rounded out the rout to leave the Swiss on top of Group A.
Hard on their heels were DPR Korea, who earned a third place play-off against Eire after humbling Belgium 4-1 in Larnaca's GSZ Stadium. Kim Nam Hui's seventh minute goal set the tone for what followed, with Ho Un Byol doubling the North Koreans' lead on the half-hour.
The game was up for Belgium when Wi Jong Sim struck a third goal just before the hour mark, and while Davinia Van Mechelen pulled one back for the Europeans five minutes later, Kyong Hyang Ri restored the Asian nation's three-goal margin nineteen minutes from time.
Eire earned their shot at third place by winning Group C thanks to Katie McCabe's goal half-way through the first half against Wales in Paralimni. That 1-0 win was followed by a 2-1 victory for Hungary over the Czech Republic, a result which clinched a ninth place play-off for the victors.
Loretta Nemeth gave the Hungarians a 27th minute
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lead, and their cause was bolstered just before half-time when Tereza Krejcirikova was sent off, reducing the Czechs to ten for the entire second spell.
Remarkably, the numerically challenged side held their own for the majority of it, and looked to have snatched a point when Lucie Martinkova levelled the scores four minutes from time. But the Czechs were still celebrating when Dora Zeller restored Hungary's lead two minutes later, and this time they didn't relinquish it.
All the scoring came in the second half at the GSZ Stadium as Scotland overcame Austria 3-1 to secure a fifth place play-off against Wales. Jane Ross fired the Scots in front just before the hour mark, but Nicole Billa levelled the scores in the 65th minute.
There was no stopping Scotland, however, and after Leanne Ross had restored their advantage twelve minutes from time, Lisa Evans capped off a solid win in stoppage time, just the third defeat the Austrians have suffered in two years.
So the play-offs schedule for the final day of action kicks off with the eleventh place play-off between Italy and the Czech Republic in Larnaca's GSZ Stadium, while the Football Ferns head to Tasos Marko in Paralimni for their ninth place encounter with Hungary. Both matches kick off at 10pm Wednesday, NZ time.
The next three matches commence at 1.30am on Thursday. Belgium and Austria play off for seventh at the GSZ, while Scotland and Wales square off for fifth place in Paralimni at the same time third place is disputed by DPR Korea and Eire at Larnaca's AEK Arena.
That last-mentioned venue will also host the final, between Switzerland and Korea Republic from 5.30am NZ time on Thursday.
Cyprus Cup details:
Czech Republic 1 (L. Martinkova (86)), Hungary 2 (L. Nemeth (27), D. Zeller (88)) HT 0-1
DPR Korea 4 (Kim Nam Hui (7), Ho Un Byol (30), Wi Jong Sim (57), Kyong Hyang Ri (71)), Belgium 1 (D. Van Mechelen (62))
Eire 1 (K. McCabe (22)), Wales 0 HT 1-0
Korea Republic 2 (Kang Yu-mi (50), Ji So-yeon (52)), Football Ferns 0 HT 0-0
Scotland 3 (J. Ross (58), L. Ross (78), L. Evans (90)), Austria 1 (N. Billa (65)) HT 0-0
Switzerland 6 (F. Humm (6), G. Reuteler (22, 50), L. Walti (33), A. Crnogorcevic (81, 83 pen)), Italy 0 HT 3-0
At the Algarve Cup, Spain will meet reigning champions Canada in the final of the competition after topping their respective groups by recording scoreless draws in their final matches - Iceland held the Spaniards, while John Herdman's charges were held by host nation Portugal.
Australia came from behind to down China 2-1, a result which saw the Matildas top Group C and earn themselves a third place play-off. Wang Shanshan gave the Steel Roses the lead nine minutes before the interval, but things changed after the hour mark.
With her first touch after coming off the bench, Emily Gielnik levelled the scores with a terrific acute-angled volley, while six minutes from time Ellie Carpenter headed home from a corner - her first goal for Australia, and one which won the contest.
They will play Denmark in the play-off in Albufeira after the Danes ran riot against ten-man Russia, who had Ekaterina Sochneva sent off after committing a professional foul in the 24th minute.
Pernille Harder scored from the resulting penalty, and went on to complete her hat-trick with two second half goals as she spearheaded a 6-1 win for the Danes, Nicoline Sorensen and two goals in the last ten minutes from Sarah Dyrehauge wrapping up the points after Margarita Chernomyrdina had levelled the scores on the stroke of half-time for the Russians.
Japan, 2-0 winners over Norway thanks to a brace of second half goals from Kumi Yokoyama, will play Holland in the battle for fifth after Mandy van den Berg's penalty ten minutes from time saw off the challenge of Sweden, who face Russia in a play-off for seventh.
Iceland meet China with ninth place at stake, while Norway and Portugal will dispute the wooden spoon. All matches take place on Thursday morning, NZ time.
Algarve Cup details:
Australia 2 (E. Gielnik (61), E. Carpenter (84)), China 1 (W. Shanshan (36)) HT 0-1
Canada 0, Portugal 0
Denmark 6 (P. Harder (25 pen, 59, 72), N. Sorensen (70), S. Dyerhauge (82, 89)), Russia 1 (M. Chernomyrdina (45)) HT 1-1
Holland 1 (M. van den Berg (80 pen)), Sweden 0 HT 0-0
Iceland 0, Spain 0
Japan 2 (K. Yokoyama (59, 90)), Norway 0 HT 0-0
The final day of SheBelieves Cup action promises to be tantalising after England stunned the USA 1-0 courtesy an injury time strike from Ellen White. France and Germany fought out a scoreless draw in the game prior, to set up a thrilling final round of action on Wednesday, NZ time.
England face Germany before France and the USA lock horns in what should be a thrilling tussle for the title, for which only the reigning Olympic champions are out of contention.
SheBelieves Cup details:
France 0, Germany 0
USA 0, England 1 (E. White (90)) HT 0-0
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