Chile comprehensively defeated New Zealand's Young Ferns 3-1 in their opening match of the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup Finals on 11 October, the South American side well worth their triumph in the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Goa, which saw an at times disjointed spectacle take place in decidedly challenging conditions, in particular the heat and humidity. Things may have been different had Milly Clegg struck her tenth second shot with power and conviction as Leon Birnie's charges attacked straight from the kick-off, but Catalina Alvarado was little troubled by the striker's shot, and the Chileans swiftly settled into their rhythm. After Constanza Oliver had directed a volley at Aimee Feinberg-Danieli, following a free-kick clumsily conceded by Helena Errington, "La Roja Femenina" opened the scoring in the twelfth minute, a goal which the Young Ferns should have prevented. Natsumy Millones' raking angled cross-field from the left was watched by the Kiwi defenders, with Suya Haering the only one to react as she realised that Oliver was ranging up outside her and in a position to pull the ball back from the by-line, a feat she duly accomplished. The target of her cross was Ambar Figueroa, who rammed the ball home from four yards to the delight of her team-mates. The Young Ferns looked to respond swiftly, with Clegg and Kiara Bercelli going close in the next five minutes, but Chile quickly regained the ascendancy, the talented Millones - one of four fifteen-year-olds in charismatic coach Alex Castro's squad - delivering another raking pass which sent Oliver scooting through in the twentieth minute. Feinberg-Danieli sensed the danger, came out of goal but clipped the striker as she looked to round the Young Ferns' custodian, who was booked for her troubles by English referee Rebecca Welch. The official had long since pointed to the penalty spot, from where Tali Rovner sent Feinberg-Danieli the wrong way to double Chile's lead halfway through the first half. Before play could resume, however, the Young Ferns' 'keeper required treatment for a head knock, presumably picked up in the process of conceding the penalty. She was able to resume, and was soon called upon to keep out a sizzling thirty-yarder from Anais Cifuentes. Remarkably, this was Chile's last chance of the half, because by now the Young Ferns had overcome their bout of stage fright and were getting to grips with the task at hand. Incredibly but sadly - and some would say criminally, this was the first official international fixture played by this squad, and that lack of experience was swiftly exposed by the Chileans, who, by contrast, have played eleven matches in various locations prior to these Finals. Never before has a Young Ferns squad gone into a FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup Finals so underprepared, and through no fault of coach Birnie. He and his players have been badly let down by NZ Football, who will use Covid as a convenient reason to explain why this team was never afforded any international match-play prior to departing for India. The harsh reality is, it would seem NZF has gone back to the dark days of Bill MacGowan RIP, when how much was in the bank account governed which international fixtures could take place, and which teams could play them. The Football Ferns, for instance, were denied the chance to qualify for the 2004 Olympic Games, while the Junior All Whites suffered the same fate where their hopes of reaching the 2005 FIFA U-17 World Cup Finals were concerned - both teams never got to kick a ball in anger because the budget decreed otherwise. I reiterate, dark days … It's all very well the national body being fiscally prudent, and cutting their cloth to suit, etc., but there are times when risk-taking needs to precede penny-pinching in the footballing dictionary, particularly when the long-term improvement of our prospects on the world stage are concerned. As Kenny Dalglish said during his first spell as Liverpool manager, "The people who come to watch us play, who love the team and regard it as part of their lives, would never appreciate Liverpool having a huge balance in the bank. They want every asset we possess to be wearing a red shirt", a statement to which I'm sure every New Zealand football fan can relate where our national teams are concerned. How challenging would it have been for NZF to have arranged at least one game against the Australian U-17s, piggy-backing on the four fixtures against the Young Matildas which the Junior Ferns enjoyed earlier this year, matches which contributed to their earning two draws in group action at the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Finals in July? To expect the same return of our Young Ferns, particularly when they've got upcoming encounters with perennial U-17 contenders Nigeria and, in particular, European champions Germany … their circumstances are such that if they get a favourable result in India, that will be their World Cup - simple

as that! But is that acceptable? We all know the answer to that question. There are some really promising players in this selection, of that be in no doubt. This writer, for one, sincerely hopes they are far better supported by NZ Football when future international opportunities present themselves, a sentiment which applies equally to all our national teams, a situation underlined by the current carry-on surrounding the All Whites. Enough of the baggage which burdens the code. Back to the action. Errington and Charlotte Mortlock were well and truly outplayed throughout proceedings in midfield, to the point where they were anonymous at times. But every so often, they'd pop up with a memorable contribution, such as the Wellingtonian's 27th minute pass through the inside right channel, which invited Clegg to bear down on goal. Her shot was superbly saved by Alvarado with her outstretched leg. From the resulting corner, Kiara Bercelli cut inside two opponents before letting fly from twenty yards, a shot greedily grabbed by Chile's goalkeeper beneath her crossbar. Four minutes later, the Young Ferns threatened again, Mortlock's donkey work presenting Errington with the chance to unleash a twenty-yarder - it fizzed narrowly past Alvarado's right-hand post. This looked like being the last chance of the half, but Clegg had other ideas two minutes before half-time. Her pursuit of a seemingly lost cause forced Alvarado into a hurried clearance. Bercelli latched onto it, and after beating an opponent, invited Clegg to go again. She took one touch too many, however, allowing Alvarado to close down the striker and block her shot, much to Clegg's despair. The Young Ferns began the second half brightly, Errington and Clegg combining to create a fiftieth minute opening for Ella McCann, only for commanding defender Catalina Figueroa to intervene - she was immense in defence for "La Roja Feminina". But she could do nothing to prevent Clegg from reducing the deficit in the 52nd minute. An Errington corner wasn't cleared, and the striker was in like Flynn, swooping to volley home from ten yards before anyone in red could react - 2-1. Sadly, New Zealand was never afforded the opportunity to build on that goal, for it had the same effect as a red rag to a bull. Chile came with a hiss and a roar from the kick-off, and attacked relentlessly over the course of the next fifteen minutes. Ella McMillan blocked an Ambar Figueroa drive, before the same player, upon being picked out by Millones' cross, shot straight at Feinberg-Danieli, who was right behind a long-range effort from Monserrat Hernandez before Marie Green cleared another dangerous cross from Millones, who had been picked out by Paloma Bustamante. The Young Ferns attempted to hamper Chile's momentum by making substitutions, with Olivia Ingham and Alexis Cook entering the fray just after the hour mark. The South Americans' response? Boomshakalaka!! What a goal!! Anais Alvarez - a fine performance in midfield - brought Millones into play once more, and the talented teenager slipped a pass inside to Cifuentes. Quite what the right fullback was doing in the inside left position to begin with, Lord alone knows, but the world soon found out - an irresistible thirty yard rocket screamed past the diving figure of Feinberg-Danieli to restore Chile's two-goal advantage - 3-1, and you sensed there'd be no coming back from that. Sure enough, that's what transpired, but a couple of the Young Ferns didn't concede defeat that easily. Haering did well to beat two opponents before lashing a twenty-yarder at Alvarado in the 72nd minute, while Ingham failed to exploit a poor Cifuentes clearance, opting to cross when a shot on goal offered greater reward. Instantly, Chile counter-attacked, Ambar Figueroa picking out substitute Arantza Suazo on the right. Her first-time shot was smothered by Feinberg-Danieli, who was right behind an Emma Gonzalez effort in the dying seconds of the match after her opposite number, Alvarado, had kept out a fine effort from Lara Colpi, the substitute having to find a way past referee Welch in order to let fly from twenty yards, after being picked out by the lively Cook. Chile were worthy victors, however, leaving the Young Ferns to pick themselves up amidst India's regulation heat and humidity and prepare for a clash with Nigeria at this venue in three days' time. Chile:          Alvarado; Cifuentes, C. Figueroa, Hernandez, Rovner; Bustamante, A. Figueroa, Alvarez; Oliver (Acevedo, 90), Tapia (Gonzalez, 85), Millones (booked, 48) (Suazo, 73) Young Ferns:     Feinberg-Danieli (booked, 20); Elliott, Green, McMillan, Haering; McCann (Cook, 62), Mortlock, Errington (booked, 44) (Colpi, 73), Bercelli (Page, 73); Nathan (Ingham, 62), Clegg (Smith, 83) Referee:     Rebecca Welch (England)