v. Canada

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v. Canada

Canada Conquer Football Ferns To Make Final Again

by Jeremy Ruane

Canada scored a 2-0 win over the ten-strong Football Ferns at a rain-soaked Suwon World Cup Stadium on June 18 to advance to their second successive Peace Queen Cup Final.

Runners-up in the inaugural competition two years ago, the “Canucks” got off to a flying start in their clash with their New Zealand opponents, who found themselves trailing to a Christine Sinclair goal inside the first minute.

It was the 91st goal in 118 internationals from the player known in the host nation as “The Fearful Forward”, and one which left John Herdman's charges with the proverbial mountain to climb, given they needed to win this clash to stand any chance of advancing to the Peace Queen Cup Final themselves.

That mountain embraced Everest-like proportions early in the second half. Playing in conditions which made their preferred passing style challenging, to say the least, the Kiwis came unstuck while endeavouring to employ it just outside their own penalty area in the 47th minute.

Sinclair stormed through onto the loose ball, and Rachel Howard, hurtling out of a goal in which she was still familiarising herself, given she had just entered the fray as a half-time substitute, brought the striker down - penalty. Worse still for the goalkeeper, the referee deemed she had committed a professional foul, and out came the red card.

So a third New Zealand goalkeeper was required to don the gloves, but this time from among the outfield contingent. Kristy Hill took over between the sticks, and her first task was to save a penalty. Kara Lang gave her no chance - 2-0 after 52 minutes, which is how things stayed to the game's conclusion.

That this is so speaks volumes for a courageous display by the undermanned Football Ferns, who, having been rocked by the opening goal of the game, took a good twenty minutes to get back on an even keel, and ended up having the better of the second half.

“What we encouraged the girls to do was to keep attacking”, said coach John Herdman of New Zealand's second half strategy. “They had that bit of belief and kept going for it.

“But we certainly didn't expect to get hit as we did inside the first minute. Before the game, we talked about what Christine Sinclair could do, and she did what she does best on this occasion, taking full advantage as Emily McColl was bundled off the ball on the edge of the penalty area”.

The Football Ferns had hoped to head to the dressing rooms on level terms, “but the conditions limited what we could do tactically”, explained a drenched Kiwi coach. “We like to pass the ball, but the steady rain meant we needed to play a more direct style.

“For Canada, the conditions suited them to a tee, and they played to their strengths. This game was a test to

Ali Riley on the rampage, powering between Rhian Wilkinson and Melissa Tancredi

Rachel Howard sends Christine Sinclair tumbling

Kara Lang makes no mistake from the spot

see how far we've come since we played them at North Harbour Stadium last year, and we've come a long way, make no mistake. This has sent a very clear signal going into the Olympics that we will not be pushovers for any team.

“Canada, who are ranked ninth in the world, were restricted to just four shots in this match - a penalty, the opening goal, and two saves by Jenny Bindon. Both Rachel Howard and Kristy Hill didn't have a save to make!”

Herdman was extremely pleased with the outcomes of the tournament from New Zealand's perspective. “The late invitation to the Peace Queen Cup was a great opportunity for us, first and foremost, and for that reason, we went into it not at our physical peak. We've now got six weeks' work ahead of us, to enable key players to get to their optimum and perform for ninety minutes”.

Some of those players impressed the coach with their efforts. “Rebecca Smith had a great tournament - she's been very strong for New Zealand. When fully fit, Amber Hearn will make a name for herself on the international stage.

“Ali Riley caught the eye against Argentina in particular, while Hayley Moorwood turned in consistently good performances. A few others impressed, but this quartet stood out”.

As did one result in particular. “We were always hoping to win a game, but have always had that cloud hanging over us in recent times - can we hang onto a lead? Against Argentina, we did, and got the win which has given us a huge confidence boost.

“The tournament served its purpose in another way, too. At the Olympics, we'll be up against Japan and the USA, and the Koreans and Canada are very similar teams, in terms of style and build.

“Korea upset the Japanese recently, and we showed we can match them in our clash, while we matched the Canadians for long periods tonight, and looked better than them at times, despite being down to ten players”.

The Football Ferns return home from Korea on Friday morning, but won't be letting the grass grow under their feet for too long!

Details are currently being finalised, but you can expect a significant announcement from NZ Football in the near future, detailing the squad's plans leading into their clashes with Japan, Norway and the USA at August's Olympic Games in China.

New Zealand: Jenny Bindon (Rachel Howard, 46 - sent-off, 47); Abby Erceg, Kristy Hill, Rebecca Smith, Ria Percival; Ali Riley, Emily McColl, Kirsty Yallop (Betsy Hassett, 85), Hayley Moorwood; Amber Hearn (Renee Leota, 87), Emma Kete (Emma Humphries, 88)

Unused subs: Anna Green, Katie Hoyle, Annalie Longo, Merissa Smith

2008 Peace Queen Cup Match Action