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Papua New Guinea
Football Ferns Beijing Bound - NZOC Pending!
by Jeremy Ruane
The Football Ferns became the first New Zealand football team to ever qualify for the Olympic Games on March 8, when they overcame Papua New Guinea 2-0 at Port Moresby's Lloyd Robson Oval to clinch Oceania's berth at the Games of the 29th Olympiad in Beijing, China, this August.
Victory in their 100th international on foreign soil was hard-earned by the Oceania champions, with the spirited Papuans proving very challenging opponents to break down as, urged on by a large vocal crowd in the first-ever women's match to be broadcast live in the host nation, they scrapped for everything.
“That is the most physical I've seen a Papua New Guinea side in all the matches I've played against them over the years”, said New Zealand's most-capped player, Wendi Henderson, afterwards.
“They were very physical - their tactics seemed to be to kick lumps out of us at every opportunity. There were any number of yellow cards in the game, but none for us, thankfully.
“Instead, we're all nursing bruises and scratches as a result of our battle, and we're feeling rather flat at the moment. But we'll perk up later on - nothing could be more certain!!”
Henderson has now matched the All Whites most-capped player, Vaughan Coveny, in appearing in 64 “A” internationals for her country. “Against Australia, we were trying to compete and get results in all three games”, the first of which saw `Weed' become the most capped New Zealand women's international in history.
“I know Maureen Jacobson (the previous caps record-holder) so well. She's such a legend, and it just doesn't seem right that she's no longer holding that honour”, said her fellow Wellingtonian, who is sporting two black eyes at present after breaking her nose in the second Australian encounter.
“It's been an interesting tour for me, in that I've had a slightly different role than on previous occasions. I've been coming off the bench with the intention of making an impact”.
She certainly did in this match. Nine minutes from time, Ria Percival - a storming game throughout - whipped over a cross which Henderson gathered and turned into the path of fellow substitute Kirsty Yallop.
Her unerring drive clinched victory for the Football Ferns, the Kiwis having been put on the road to Beijing ten minutes into the second half by Renee Leota, who pounced on a poor defensive clearance on the edge of the penalty area to lash home her first goal for her country with clinical accuracy - bottom corner, no messing!
“PNG let us have the ball throughout the match - they never pressed us high up the pitch”, reflects Henderson. “As a result, we enjoyed lots of touches of the ball, and were pretty composed, but couldn't break down their defence.
“It got frustrating for us at times, with the final ball not quite coming off for us on numerous occasions. But we remained quite disciplined, and got our rewards in the end”.
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 Wendi Henderson - impact player
 Renee Leota - drove a dagger through PNG hearts
 Kirsty Yallop - twisted the knife
 Ria Percival - storming game
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Now it's up to the New Zealand Olympic Committee to determine the Football Ferns' fate, re whether they go to the Beijing Olympics or otherwise. In terms of their ongoing development as a team, and the continuing growth of women's football in this country, participation in the Olympic Women's Football Tournament is, not to put too fine a point on it, imperative.
“Hopefully we will find out this week where we stand”, says Henderson. “The sooner we know, the better, so we can plan accordingly”.
The Football Ferns' plan in a match played in intense heat had patience as its watch-word, with Merissa Smith, Simone Carmichael and Percival raiding down the flanks at every opportunity.
But it was the half-time introduction of Yallop and Annalie Longo, New Zealand's youngest international, which did much to take the game away from the Papuans, who kept their more vaunted opponents scoreless throughout the first half.
Despite Leota driving a dagger through their hearts in the 55th minute, the home team refused to yield, with substitute Samantha Peninsa squandering a glorious chance to equalise on the hour mark when shooting straight at Rachel Howard.
But the locals, with Daisy Winas and Deslyn Siniu driving them on at every opportunity, began to tire, and Yallop's twisting of the knife nine minutes from time made certain of victory and New Zealand footballing history for the Football Ferns, who join Argentina, China (hosts), Germany, Japan, North Korea, Norway and Sweden in having qualified for the twelve-team Olympic Women's Football Tournament thus far.
The two representatives from CONCACAF will be determined following a tournament in Mexico in April, while either Ghana or Nigeria will qualify automatically as Africa's representative, with the unsuccessful contender having a second opportunity to progress, although they must overcome Brazil in a play-off in Beijing twenty-four hours prior to the Olympic Games Football Tournament draw on April 20.
The tournament itself takes place between August 6 and 21, with five venues - Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Shenyang and Qinhuangdao - in operation throughout the event.
Details:
Papua New Guinea 0, New Zealand 2 (R. Leota (55), K. Yallop (81)) HT 0-0
Papua New Guinea: Linda Bunaga; Miriam Lanta, Caroline Moeder (booked, 71), Katherine Salaiau (booked, 44), Helen Baki; Daisy Winas, Julie Alau (Samantha Peninsa, 42 (booked, 64)), Tracy Kig, Lydia Barnabas (Pauline Turakaur, 72); Ara Midi (booked, 76), Deslyn Siniu
Football Ferns: Rachel Howard; Ria Percival, Maia Jackman, Hannah Bromley, Abby Erceg; Merissa Smith (Wendi Henderson, 60), Emily McColl, Hayley Moorwood, Simone Carmichael (Annalie Longo, 46); Renee Leota, Emma Kete Kirsty Yallop, 46)
Referee: Tammy Ogston (Australia)
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