The Football Ferns kicked off their Matchworld Cup campaign on a winning note in the picturesque Swiss village of Saviese on June 15, scoring a solid 2-0 win over Wales in front of 500 spectators as they stepped up their final preparations for the FIFA Women’s World Cup Finals. A slick seventh minute raid down the left culminated in an Anna Green cross which Amber Hearn met with a classic diving header to open the scoring, while the provider turned scorer twenty minutes from time. Green hammered a free-kick into the top far corner of the net from the right-hand edge of the penalty area, after Rosie White had been felled while weaving her way through Welsh opponents. "It was a very professional performance", commented assistant coach Tony Readings, after the match. "We looked like a team which had been working hard and readying itself for the World Cup. "We looked really good both in and out of possession, and after a thirty-hour journey to get here, took the opportunity to get as many players as possible onto the park. Of those available for selection, only Erin Nayler didn’t see any game-time". Three players who didn’t grace the ground were Aroon Clansey, Kristy Hill and Kirsty Yallop. "They stayed at the hotel, as they are suffering from stomach upsets. Kirsty could have played at a push, but we opted to rest her. All 21 players should be available for selection in our next match, against Columbia". In a match which saw the Football Ferns avoid any injury concerns while producing a solid team performance, three players in particular caught Readings’ eye. "Anna Green played well again – she’s had a great year so far – and was up and down the flank all game long. "Betsy Hassett produced a typical Betsy Hassett performance – full of running for ninety minutes, getting in plenty of tackles and beating players for fun, while Katie Hoyle had a good first forty-five minutes". Coach John Herdman was similarly pleased with the overall efforts of his charges, describing the outcome as "the perfect result for a coach – two

goals scored, none against, and a solid all-round performance, doing everything that was asked of them. "It was a really positive performance, and the scoreline could have been a lot more. We should have put them to the sword, to be honest, but a few crosses went begging, as did a few chances, including a number from corners". Looking ahead to the Football Ferns’ next match, against Columbia in Apples from 4.15am on Sunday, NZ time, Herdman is looking forward to seeing how the squad handle a style of football they rarely encounter. "We are well versed in the styles of football we can expect from the Europeans, the Asians and the likes of Australia and the USA, but the purpose of playing Columbia is to get a feel for Mexico, and the South American style of football generally. "As we speak, I’m watching them playing Denmark, and it’s fair to say the Columbians are a bit unorthodox – they have a basic structure, but they play off-the-cuff, as we know Mexico are capable of doing from first-hand experience. So it will be interesting to see how the girls handle this different approach". The Columbians and Danes ended up drawing their match 1-1, with the South Americans prevailing 3-1 in a penalty shoot-out, a result which leaves the Football Ferns handily placed to secure some silverware as an added bonus to their prime reason for playing these games. On a day when Wales were playing their 99th women’s international, Hayley Moorwood clocked up a record-equalling 64th appearance for her country. Her return from injury as a half-time substitute saw her matching the tally of appearances the legendary Wendi Henderson amassed for New Zealand during her 21-year international career. Football Ferns: Bindon; Riley (McLaughlin, 78), Smith, Erceg, Green; Percival (Bowen, 70), Hoyle (Moorwood, 46), Hearn (Longo, 65), Hassett; Wilkinson (Kete, 46), Gregorius (White, 46) Wales: Nokes; Davies, E. Jones, N. Jones, Ingle; Dykes (Lea, 63), Lander (Ladd, 87), Wade, Bleazard (Harding, 63); Harries (Foster, 29), Fishlock Referee: Simona Ghisletta (Switzerland)