Austria all but ended New Zealand's hopes of pulling off a FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Finals miracle at Bogota's El Techo Stadium on 5 September, seeing off the Junior Ferns 3-1 in a contest which saw Leon Birnie's team miss a penalty and see two of their defensive lynchpins suffer tournament-ending concussion injuries. The Austrians, playing in their first FIFA women's finals of any kind, went close to opening the scoring inside the first 75 seconds when Tatjana Weiss headed Nicole Ojukwu's free-kick narrowly past the post. The Junior Ferns responded in the fifth minute, Manaia Elliott getting in between Hannah Fankhauser and Chiara Dangelo on the right before carving a path into the penalty area, where Ojukwu's challenge brought her progress to an abrupt halt. The Video Assistant Referee reviewed the incident, and eventually - it took an age! - deemed that Ivory Coast referee Natacha Konan had made the correct call - no penalty. Two goals in five minutes killed the game as a contest, much to Austria's delight, as it meant they were through to the knockout phase of the competition. Ojukwu was the architect of both goals with her deadly free-kicks, the first of which, in the tenth minute, was beautifully flighted to the far post. Rising above all-comers was Sarah Gutmann, whose downward header clipped the inside of the post en route to the back of the net. When she struck again, with a close-range volley five minutes later, it was the result of another Ojukwu free-kick which New Zealand failed to clear. Austria went close again five minutes later, Anna Wirnsberger's cross striking the arm of Ella Findlay at close quarters. Again, VAR deemed no penalty. Seconds later, Zoe McMeeken dashed across to thwart Fankhauser's bid to get on the end of Valentina Maedl's clever ball over the defence. Emma Pijnenburg led the Junior Ferns' response, her fine work in the 25th minute culminating in a pass to Kiara Bercelli, who evaded a challenge before over-hitting a pass to the ever-willing Milly Clegg - how she would benefit from not having to plough a lone furrow in attack! That was a rare attack from the Kiwis, who seemed content to sit back and let Austria attack at will, this despite being two goals down. Hello? There's a lot of attack-minded talent in this NZ age group - as well as the likes of Bercelli, Clegg, Elliott, Helena Errington and Pijnenburg, Zoe Benson, Lara Colpi and Ruby Nathan were on the bench for this game, while Alexis Cook, Danielle Canham and Charlotte Mortlock were surprise selection omissions. Why weren't these players being given their head to create mayhem and have a go at their European opponents? Having lost 7-0 to Japan in their previous game, the chances of the Junior Ferns progressing out of the group were next to nil at kick-off in this match. Why not throw caution to the wind, instead of employing bog-standard men's football tactics of playing to not lose? (Tactics which were evident even when two goals in arrears … go figure that one!!) Austria borrowed from the Japanese playbook in the 29th minute, and attacked down the left flank, with McMeeken conspicuous by her absence. I'm sorry, but while she may be a fan favourite, she's a massive liability in a defensive role. Her instincts are to press forward and utilise her athleticism - she's an athlete first and foremost, not a footballer - but McMeeken's playing in a position where your first job is to defend ... Japan spotted this weakness in the Junior Ferns' make-up virtually straight away, and had a field day down that flank as a result. Now it was Austria's turn to follow their lead, with Gutmann running unchallenged down the left before picking out Maedl, whose shot on the turn was directed straight

at Madeleine Iro. The Junior Ferns responded three minutes later, with Suya Haering and Bercelli combining on the left for the benefit of Clegg, who evaded the challenge of Gutmann but not that of the covering figure of Magdalena Rukavina. Haering and Bercelli combined again soon afterwards, with Daisy Brazendale the beneficiary on this occasion. She set up Elliott for a shot which flew wide of the target. Right on half-time, the Junior Ferns should have halved the deficit. Pijnenburg pounced on a stray pass from Weiss and charged into the penalty area, where she was felled by goalkeeper Mariella El Sherif. Referee Konan had no hesitation - penalty, and booked the offender. But El Sherif redeemed herself after another seemingly interminable VAR check, saving Pijnenburg's spot kick. Bercelli battered the rebound into the net, but her goal was ruled out because she had encroached in the penalty area before the spot-kick was struck. How that goal could have changed the game. Instead, the first half of the second spell was decidedly sterile - but for saves from Iro, to keep out a cross-shot from Laura Spinn, and El Sherif, who denied Errington's shot on the run, the only things of note to record in the first twenty minutes after half-time would have been two substitutions by each team. Pijnenburg - easily NZ's best in this match - was doing her level best to make things happen for her side during this phase of the contest, but in response Austria, who played well within themselves in the second half, struck a third goal, putting the result beyond doubt in the 67th minute. Inevitably, Ojukwu was involved again, picking out Greta Spinn on the left. She evaded McMeeken's replacement, Rebekah Trewhitt, before sending Maedl marauding through the inside left channel, from where she beat Iro all ends up with a ferocious drive. The 'keeper got her hand to it, but there was no way of stopping this thunderbolt - 3-0. Fifteen minutes from time, Ojukwu whipped in a wicked free-kick right into the goalmouth. Haering rose and headed it against the underside of the crossbar, but as the ball bounced into the net, the fullback slumped to the ground in a distressed state, eventually having to be escorted from the pitch with concussion. Quite why the goal wasn't awarded defies logic. Somewhere in the midst of the mayhem, referee Konan saw an infringement by an Austrian player which prompted her decision, but it certainly wasn't in the active area of play, such was the quality of Ojukwu's corner. Worse was to follow for the Junior Ferns. Findlay had already seen stars earlier in the half when McMeeken's headed clearance struck her flush in the face. When she copped another such blow ten minutes from time, it was the end of the road for the central defender, and just like that, the Junior Ferns' defensive lynchpins were out of this World Cup with concussion. They would have been pleased with the way their team-mates finished the match, reducing the arrears in stoppage time. Marie Green's long-range free-kick was pawed round the post by El Sherif, but from Errington's resulting corner to the near post, Clegg executed a thumping eight-yard header into the top corner to the delight of her team-mates, bringing about the final 3-1 scoreline. Austria:     El Sherif (booked, 45); L. Spinn, Weiss, Gutmann, Dangelo (Seidl, 77); Rukavina (Keutz, 62), G. Spinn, Ojukwu; Wirnsberger (Ziletkina, 77), Maedl (Purtscher, 89), Fankhauser (Sisic, 46) Junior Ferns:     Iro; McMeeken (Trewhitt, 64), McMillan, Findlay (Green, 83), Haering (Page, 78); Elliott, Pijnenburg, Brazendale (Ingham, 78), Errington, Bercelli (Benson, 64); Clegg Referee:     Natacha Konan (Ivory Coast)