v. Argentina

The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website | home

v. Argentina

Football Ferns Come Of Age With Argentina Win

by Jeremy Ruane

Houston, I'm delighted to say we have lift-off!

The Football Ferns have come of age at the Peace Queen Cup tournament on 16 June, 2008, downing fellow Olympic Women's Football Tournament contenders and reigning South American champions Argentina 1-0 at the Suwon World Cup Stadium.

In recording New Zealand's first win over a top thirty-ranked women's football-playing nation since October 1994, they have also recorded a host of other milestones:

New Zealand's first-ever win at any level over Argentina;

New Zealand's first-ever win over any South American nation at senior level;

A first win on Asian soil in senior level women's football since December 1987;

A first win against non-Oceania opposition since March 1996;

A first win outside Oceania since August 1993.

It's a massive result both psychologically and confidence-wise for John Herdman's young squad, and one about which the coach is understandably over the moon!

“We're really enjoying this feeling”, he said on behalf of the squad as they headed back to their hotel on the coach. “The girls have worked so hard and for so long for this moment, and right now, they are on an absolute high. We`ve turned a corner tonight”.

The goal which decided the contest came early, in the seventh minute. Kirsty Yallop's thumping thirty-five yard free-kick was tipped onto the crossbar by Argentine goalkeeper Vanina Correa, and Amber Hearn, following in as all good strikers should, headed home the rebound, her maiden goal at senior international level, from six yards.

“We planned for the early goal”, said Herdman afterwards. “We showed in the Women's World Cup Finals that even the best teams struggled to break us down, and we felt that by scoring early, we could employ that strategy against Argentina.

“Around the half-hour mark, we made a couple of changes in an effort to get a second goal just before half-time, which would allow us to kill the game off and give a few key players a rest in the second half.

“It didn't pan out, however, although we had chances to do so, and in the end we had to grind out the result with a strong all-round performance, one which saw us fielding a trio in our back four aged eighteen or below - no other team in the world has a defence that young.

“It's a measure of how very exciting our future is. We showed some trust in players tonight, and gave debuts to Kristy Hill and Betsy Hassett, two of our substitutes, all of whom made an impact”.

The win lifts the Football Ferns into second place on the standings, ahead of host nation the Korea Republic on goal difference. They were all over Canada like a rash in the day's early encounter, yet came away smarting from a 3-1 defeat.

Kara Lang struck nine minutes before half-time for the Canucks, while two second half goals from Christine Sinclair - one straight after the interval - broke the

Amber "Hitwoman" Hearn blows Argentina away!

Kristy Hill climbing high to get in a header on debut

Abby Erceg looks on as Ria Percival takes charge of the situation

A regular one woman army! Kirsty "Rambo" Yallop takes on all-comers

hearts of the Koreans, for whom Kim Soo Yun scored a consolation goal sixteen minutes from time.

Tuesday's action features the clash of USA and Brazil, both of whom scored 2-1 victories in Sunday's matches. The teams they respectively conquered, Australia and Italy, lock horns in the day's later encounter.

The Football Ferns are back in action at the earlier time of 5pm on Wednesday at the Suwon World Cup Stadium, where they'll be playing for $US 50,000. A win over current table-toppers Canada could well fire the second-placed Kiwis into Saturday's Peace Queen Cup Final as group winners, based on the outcome of the head-to-head encounter between the pair.

Even if their new-found confidence isn't enough to help them overcome the world's ninth-ranked nation on this occasion, Canada's former Women's World Cup-winning coach, Even Pellerud, will discover at first hand how much progress the Football Ferns have made since the Canucks' visit to New Zealand just over a year ago.

“I think I can recognise New Zealand is where we were some years ago”, he said during that visit. “I started in Canada with a very young team, and based my squad on teenagers, and managed to motivate them to stay in the game and play more and more, harder and harder.

“Today we are a stronger team, but there is not a big gap to New Zealand. I think the future for the New Zealand team is great. What they need to do more of is play against the best to learn from the best - be punished and learn. Be punished again and learn more. That's what we have done - that's the only way to do it”.

Monday's win over Argentina shows that the Football Ferns have heeded the lessons from the numerous reversals they've suffered in between times, many of the most recent of which have been decidedly frustrating, given the team's closeness to achieving that breakthrough victory.

That milestone has now been realised, and while there is much more for the Football Ferns to learn and achieve, this is an occasion for them to briefly savour the sweet smell of success, and appreciate what they've accomplished over the course of the last nineteen months.

Many are the sacrifices the players have made to realise this moment, one which is special not only to those selected to represent New Zealand at this tournament, but all who've played a part in and contributed to the Football Ferns' programme in that time.

The coming of age of this young team is their reward. Time, now, to patiently sit back and, over time, watch these Kiwis grow and, ultimately, fly.

New Zealand: Jenny Bindon; Ria Percival, Abby Erceg, Rebecca Smith (Kristy Hill, 46), Anna Green; Ali Riley, Emily McColl (Merissa Smith, 33) (Betsy Hassett, 90), Kirsty Yallop (Katie Hoyle, 81), Hayley Moorwood; Amber Hearn (Emma Kete, 76), Renee Leota (Emma Humphries, 85)

Unused substitutes: Rachel Howard, Annalie Longo

Moment Of Victory Match Action 2008 Peace Queen Cup