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Sweden End Ferns' Olympics Hopes

by Jeremy Ruane

Sweden brought an end to the Football Ferns' 2020 Olympics campaign on July 27, downing the New Zealanders 2-0 at the Miyagi Stadium to clinch top spot in the group, while sending the Kiwis home from a second successive world footballing finals without a point to their name.

Having lost all three group matches at the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup Finals, the Football Ferns were hoping for a better showing at the 2020 Olympic Women's Football Tournament, but the draw put them in the group of death - not ideal for a team which last won a game on 1 June 2019, against England.

The appearance of Covid-19 on the scene certainly didn't aid the Ferns' cause either, denying them any meaningful preparation for an event delayed by a year because of the global pandemic.

Thus it was that a first-up loss to a vulnerable Australia, followed by Team USA's now-traditional thrashing of Oceania's champions - their last three victories over New Zealand have been by five-goal margins - meant that this clash with Sweden would likely be the Football Ferns' last hurrah at these Games.

And so it proved, although it didn't look like being the case in the early stages of the contest, with the Kiwis' pressing game forcing a Swedish team - which was resting a number of their first-choice line-up - into a number of uncharacteristic errors early doors.

They weren't alone in making them, however, a couple of wayward clearances from recalled Football Ferns goalkeeper Erin Nayler suggesting that she wasn't quite on her game - her lack of match-play at club level over the past year certainly hasn't helped her cause in this regard.

But after Catherine Bott had blocked a shot from Olivia Schough to safety in the eleventh minute, the same player had the chance to open the scoring four minutes later, having been released down the left by Jonna Andersson.

Schough, who was a constant threat down the left during her time on the park, scythed inside and unleashed a twenty-five yarder which was careering in by Nayler's near post until the 'keeper turned it round the upright at full stretch. Maybe she was on her game … but a bad mistake by the goalkeeper from the resulting corner suggested otherwise.

Schough's delivery picked out Anna Anvegard inside the six-yard area, and she beat Nayler in the air to head home the opening goal just seventeen minutes into the contest.

You could see from the Football Ferns' facial reactions just how demoralising a blow this was, particularly given how well they had started the game. There were lots of "Oh no, not again!" looks as the goal was awarded, and when Sweden doubled their advantage just shy of the half-hour mark, there was almost a sense of resignation in evidence.

As with the opening goal, Nayler was again found wanting, this time reacting far too late as Sweden's patient right-flank build-up culminated in a Hanna Bennison cross picking out Madelen Janogy, whose glancing header flew past the approaching Football Ferns goalkeeper and into the empty net behind her.

It was a double-blow from which the Kiwi team struggled to recover, although things might have been considerably different had Swedish goalkeeper Jennifer Falk not pulled off a fine double-save to deny both Emma Rolston and Betsy Hassett in the 34th minute.

The Swedes kept their opponents at arm's length throughout the remainder of the half, then introduced a few of their big guns at regular intervals throughout the second spell to ensure that there wouldn't be any prospect of the Europeans failing to finish as group winners with a perfect record.

Indeed, if anything, Sweden were keen to build on their two-goal advantage, with Schough in particular eager to get on the scoresheet. Nine minutes after the break, she darted in between Bott and Ria Percival before battering a twenty-yarder which Nayler plunged to her left to turn to safety.

She then sent a thunderbolt careering narrowly over the bar on the hour after Abby Erceg had directed a clearance straight to Sweden's prime source of danger, before Nayler turned away another Schough effort after the Swedes had opened up the Football Ferns' right flank once again.

In the midst of all these efforts, the Kiwis had strong claims for a penalty turned away by Argentinian referee Laura Fortunato. Percival, Rolston and Bott combined on the right, with the fullback playing a pass into the stride of the charging figure of New Zealand's most capped player.

Percival ploughed into the penalty area before seeing her initial shot blocked. But in going for the rebound she was felled by Falk, prompting a penalty plea of the referee which was ultimately deemed groundless.

After Schough's withdrawal from the fray, the Football Ferns pressed again, this time down the left flank in the 65th minute. Betsy Hassett fed the overlapping figure of Ali Riley, whose deep cross was headed out by Emma Kullberg as far as Bott.

She fair thundered a shot at goal which Falk turned

superbly around her near post - one suspects Sweden will be well served by this lass when veteran custodian Hedvig Lindahl finally calls time on her illustrious goalkeeping career.

Schough's replacement was Lina Hurtig, who wasted little time in getting up to speed. Prompted by an interchange between Kullberg and Anvegard in the 67th minute, the newcomer got in between defenders and fired a shot past the advancing figure of Nayler, but past the post as well.

Back came the Kiwis, Erceg releasing Riley down the left once more - she appears far better suited to an attacking role in what remains of her Football Ferns career, on the evidence of this tournament.

On this occasion, she picked out Hannah Wilkinson with a peach of a cross to the far post, but the striker was unable to mark the occasion of her one hundredth cap with what would have been the 150th goal of her career in senior level club and representative football, directing her header straight at Falk nineteen minutes from time.

Sweden responded with another burst of pressure, Meikayla Moore getting away with some shirt-pulling in the penalty area before tackling Hurtig in fine style seconds later, before combining with Percival to thwart the substitute after Erceg had directed a clearance straight to Bennison.

Only the crossbar denied the Swedes a third goal six minutes from time, Kullberg's twenty-five yard chipped effort striking the woodwork before rebounding to Hurtig, whose shot struck the hand of Daisy Cleverley before being smothered by Nayler.

Swedish penalty pleas were in vain, but they continued to press for a third goal right to the end. Moore's vital tackle denied another substitute, the tremendously talented Kosovare Asllani, in the area after she had combined with Hurtig and Janogy.

And with virtually the last kick of the game, another of Sweden's superstar substitutes, Amanda Ilestedt, had Nayler scrambling as her thumping twenty-five yarder curled narrowly past the far post.

2-0 it remained, however, an ultimately comfortable victory for the Swedes at the expense of a Football Ferns team which was managed by coach Tom Sermanni for the final time as he is stepping down from the position after this tournament.

Whoever replaces him will face a challenging task, because among the things required of the new appointment will be holding a few one-on-one discussions with a handful of long-serving Football Ferns who have served this country exceedingly well over the last fifteen years, but for whom the 2020 Olympic Women's Football Tournament may well be their international swansong, like it or not.

Eight defeats in our last nine matches at world women's football's pinnacle events - to the USA and France in Rio de Janiero 2016, to Holland, Canada and Cameroon in France 2019, and to Australia, the USA and Sweden here in Japan - are indicative of an international programme which is very much in need of a reboot.

Adding to this is the fact the Football Ferns last won on the world stage over two years ago, the aforementioned 1-0 win over England in June 2019. And the third placing of the Young Ferns at the 2018 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup Finals is ample evidence that there are players bubbling under who need to be given the chance to take on the world at the highest level - New Zealand 2023 is that opportunity.

Sentiment suggests that Erceg, today's unused substitute Annalie Longo, Percival and Riley - the four surviving members of the Junior Ferns team which, in contesting the 2006 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Finals, was the first NZ side to appear at a FIFA Finals since that which graced the inaugural FIFA Women's World Cup Finals in 1991 - deserve the chance to end their international careers on home turf in 2023.

Sadly, in football, there is little room for sentiment, such is the pace at which the game is moving on these days. Indeed, the investment in the game elsewhere is in danger of leaving New Zealand and their fellow Oceania Football Confederation countries well behind.

Hence the OFC's well-received "All In" initiative, the prime objective of which is to have two competitive teams at the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup Finals. For New Zealand, however, the need to be competitive in the 2023 event we're co-hosting is paramount, and that means at least matching the Young Ferns' feats at NZ08 by winning a group game on home soil.

Recent results on the world stage suggest we are a long way off realising that target at present. NZ Football has less than two years available to them to ensure that those charged with representing the nation on the world stage - at our event in particular - are in a position to satisfy the nation's expectations in this way.

Sweden: Falk; Roddar, Kullberg, Eriksson (Bjorn, 46), Andersson (Ilestedt, 46); Bennison, Blomqvist, Angeldal (Seger, 72), Schough (Hurtig, 64); Anvegard (Asllani, 85), Janogy

F'ball Ferns: Nayler; Bott, Moore, Erceg, Riley; Cleverley (Bunge, 87), Percival (booked, 67), Bowen, Hassett; Rolston (Satchell, 60), Wilkinson (Rennie, 85)

Referee: Laura Fortunato (Argentina)

Road To France & Tokyo