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USA 1

World Champions Kept Honest By Spirited Ferns

by Jeremy Ruane

The USA kept a spirited Football Ferns combination at arm's length in front of 17,301 fans at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado, on September 15, prevailing 3-1 in what may well have been the first-ever women's football international to feature three players making their 100th appearance for their country.

Annalie Longo and Betsy Hassett were afforded that honour by the Football Ferns as the USA's latest centurion, Kelley O'Hara, captained her country on the occasion of her 100th international, although she ended the contest prematurely after a collision with goalkeeping team-mate Alyssa Naehar left the fullback in la-la land.

With the Football Ferns playing together for the first time since March, and for the first time in a long-time at altitude, it was no surprise to see the USA hit the ground running in this contest, early corners from Megan Rapinoe giving the visitors cause for concern before one of the USA's undoubted stars needlessly dived to win a free-kick in the eleventh minute.

Thankfully, justice was served, and while Rapinoe's free-kick wasn't cleared, Julie Ertz's resulting overhead kick looped onto the roof of Erin Nayler's net, allowing the Football Ferns the chance to respond with a couple of attacks of their own.

Longo led the first of them, beating one on the right before picking out Rosie White in the penalty area - how good it is to see her playing in a pure striker's role for her country! "The Golazo Girl" held the ball up well before looking to work a one-two with Hassett, whose over-hit return pass saw the opportunity peter out.

Seconds later, the Football Ferns pressed again, a concerted raid on the left this time which featured White, captain Ali Riley, Hassett and Kirsty Yallop. Abby Dahlkemper stepped in at the vital moment for the USA, however, sparking a counter-attack which saw the ever-impressive Alex Morgan give Katie Bowen the runaround on the touchline before just failing to pick out Rapinoe with a cross-field pass.

It mattered not to the USA, as they opened the scoring in the sixteenth minute. Another Rapinoe corner was punched out by Nayler to Dahlkemper, who steered the ball across to O'Hara.

Her hanging cross was headed inside by Lindsay Horan to Ertz, darting between defenders. Her first-time finish from six yards afforded Nayler no chance, and was met with great delight by the hugely supportive home crowd.

They were cheering again eight minutes later, as Ertz doubled her tally for the evening. Morgan led the charge, feeding Taylor Smith, who steered the ball into the stride of speed merchant Mallory Pugh, powering down the right to the by-line.

Her cross picked out Rapinoe on the far post, but her header crashed against the post, rebounding back towards the edge of the penalty area. Arriving on cue, Ertz smashed a first-time volley into the back of the net to give the USA a 2-0 lead.

The Football Ferns looked to strike back straight away, with Ria Percival - she had a terrific game - delivering an angled ball in from the right which Longo, ghosting in behind the defence, only just failed to get on the end of, the bounce beating her as she looked to crown her one hundredth appearance with a goal against the reigning world champions.

Back came the Americans, Rapinoe's 32nd minute cross being headed on by Morgan for Pugh, only for Riley's timely intervention to deny the youngster a sight of goal at the crucial moment.

Two minutes later, Pugh and Sam Mewis combined on the right, with the latter's angled cross looking to pick out the darting run of Horan in behind the defence. She just failed to make contact with the ball on the far post.

The USA continued to hold the upper hand against their battling opponents, who were nearly unhinged by O'Hara's teasing cross three minutes before half-time. Nayler came charging out but got nowhere near the sphere, the ball falling invitingly for Ertz, whose shot struck Rebekah Stott.

The rebound headed towards the goal area, with Ertz in hot pursuit. But Nayler saved at her feet, and on the stroke of half-time was relieved to see Horan fail to direct her far post header on target after Morgan, O'Hara and Rapinoe had combined on the left.

The second half began with the USA earning a free-kick just two minutes after the resumption of play.

Rapinoe curled in a beauty, right into the heart of the goalmouth, where Horan met it at full stretch. But she couldn't beat Nayler, who produced a super blocking save to keep the Football Ferns in the hunt.

Inspired by their goalkeeper's exploits, the black-clad Kiwis began to make some in-roads of their own. Rosie White directed a twenty-five yard free-kick over the wall but too near Naehar in the 49th minute, while from another White free-kick six minutes later, Becky Sauerbrunn's vital intervention prevented Hannah Wilkinson from heading home at the near post.

Back came the USA, O'Hara's twenty-five yard volley clearing the bar after substitute Sofia Huerta's cross had been cleared to her in the 57th minute. The newcomer was the first player to play both for and against the USA, having been a Mexican age-grade representative prior to getting clearance from FIFA to change her footballing allegiances on the world stage.

Huerta wasn't the USA's only substitute, but the introduction of the others saw the home team lose their momentum, which invited the Football Ferns back into the contest, an opportunity they didn't hesitate to exploit.

Twenty minutes from time, Longo and Hassett created havoc on the left, with Wilkinson thwarted by two defenders as she looked to capitalise on the centurions' devilry.

Two minutes later, Hassett, now marauding down the right, fired over a cross which Wilkinson took on in her stride through the inside right channel. But having powered past Sauerbrunn, she fired wildly over the bar with just Naehar to meet - a great chance spurned.

Just as well the next one wasn't long in coming, and this time the player with one of the best conversion rates in the women's game when it comes to scoring against the USA made no mistake as she notched her fourth goal against the world champions.

Riley and Longo worked a one-two on the left which culminated in the captain delivering a delicious angled cross into the danger zone. Fatally, from the USA's perspective, it was allowed to bounce by their defence, and by the time Naehar reacted, Wilkinson was in full flight and sent her header flying past the 'keeper to put the Football Ferns back in the game with sixteen minutes left.

Their hopes of getting something from the match lasted five minutes, when the one player in world football who boasts the best strike rate against the Football Ferns did what she does so well yet again - her fourth goal against the Kiwis.

Carli Lloyd and Tobin Heath are both nursing injuries at present, but the third member of that tantalising attacking triumverate was firing on all cylinders in this match, and on receipt of a measured cross from Huerta, Morgan controlled the ball beautifully before wrong-footing Percival and rifling a ferocious drive over Nayler and in off the underside of the bar - 3-1.

That goal stifled the visitors' belief, and gave the USA some well-timed momentum going into the last ten minutes, during which Christen Press lobbed the ball narrowly wide of Nayler's net, then directed an angled shot just past the same post from the edge of the area five minutes from time.

Only a vital Meikayla Moore tackle prevented Morgan from latching onto a through ball and setting sail for goal two minutes later, while in stoppage time, the Football Ferns again went close through Wilkinson, whose header was grabbed by Naehar after Longo and Riley again combined to good effect on the left.

The USA's 3-1 was deserved, but they were made to work all the way by a Football Ferns combination which introduced substitutes Aimee Phillips and Olivia Chance - great to see her back in the international frame - during the last few minutes of the contest.

The teams do it all again in Cincinnati at midday on Wednesday, NZ time, a match which offers Football Ferns coach Tony Readings the chance to introduce some new faces to the international scene as he begins to plan for France 2019 and Tokyo 2020.

USA: Naehar; Smith (Huerta, 51), Dahlkemper, Sauerbrunn, O'Hara (Short, 77); Mewis (Long, 60), Ertz, Horan (Brian, 73); Pugh (Dunn, 60), Morgan, Rapinoe (Press, 60)

Football Ferns: Nayler; Percival, Stott, Moore, Riley; Longo (booked, 46), Yallop (Chance, 84), Hassett, Bowen; Wilkinson, White (Phillips, 87)

Referee: Katja Koroleva (USA)

Road To France & Tokyo