New Zealand's Young Ferns saved their best till last at the 2022 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup Finals, going down 3-1 to Germany at the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Goa on October 17. As the scoreline suggests, they weren't disgraced in this defeat by the European champions, whose pedigree is such that a fearful hiding could well have been on the cards for Leon Birnie's charges, especially given the Young Ferns' earlier displays in India. But the introduction of Lara Colpi and Alexis Cook to the starting line-up gave the Kiwis some much-needed vim and vigour, and saw them produce by far their most competitive performance of the week, even after going a goal down within five minutes of the start of the game. Germany first threatened in the third minute, Aimee Feinberg-Danieli's sliced clearance being neatly controlled by Marie Steiner, who weaved her way between two challenges into the penalty area, where Ella McMillan was on hand to block the striker's shot to safety. Two minutes later, Friederike Kromp's team opened the scoring. Securing possession inside her own half, Loreen Bender burst over halfway and continued her run forward after slipping a pass to Paulina Bartz. She in turn fed the impressive Mara Alber, bombing down the left, from where she scythed into the penalty area before delivering a low cut-back invitingly into the stride of Bender, who, without breaking stride, steered the sphere into the far corner of the net from fifteen yards. It was the perfect start for Germany, and had Young Ferns fans fearing the worst, particularly as the group leaders threatened again straight from the kick-off. Marie Green's hesitancy in dealing with a bouncing ball was pounced on by Steiner, who drove deep into the penalty area before slipping a low cross into the goalmouth, where Bartz went for a cheeky back-heeled finish, only to see Feinberg-Danieli block her effort at point-blank range. Which made what happened next all the more remarkable! The Young Ferns earned a throw-in on the right, and Manaia Elliott's delivery was flicked on by Olivia Ingham - the first time the routine had worked in these Finals! Milly Clegg was the beneficiary of the opportunity, but mis-timed her effort, affording Lina Altenburg an easy eighth minute save. Sixty seconds later, however, Germany's goalkeeper was diving in vain as the Young Ferns levelled the scores against all the odds. Suya Haering picked out Colpi with a pass which she instantly directed towards Clegg on the left. Marlene Deyss stepped in to supposedly snuff out the threat, only for Clegg to catch her in possession, then power into the penalty area, from where she curled a sumptuous shot around the diving figure of Altenburg and into the far corner. 1-1 after nine minutes, and a goal very similar to that Clegg scored against Colombia at the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Finals to boot! The scorer was rightly engulfed by her team-mates as the Germans looked on in disbelief. True, they gave a fair few of their reserves a run-out, but hey, it's Germany, one of the standard-bearing countries in all forms of football the world over. This is a country which thrashed the SWANZ, as the Football Ferns were then known, 8-0 in 1998 - to that point in time, NZ's record defeat on the world stage. Little wonder those wearing white were celebrating with gusto! What's more, they backed up those celebrations with a performance which saw them deservedly heading to the dressing rooms at half-time on level terms with their more illustrious opponents, who responded to the equaliser via Alara Sehitler, about whom you will hear much in years to come - she is quality! On this occasion, her curling twenty yarder arced narrowly past the far post in the fifteenth minute, to which the Young Ferns responded by carving out another chance five minutes later. Kiara Bercelli and Clegg made in-roads down the left before Cook saw her shot blocked by Julia Veit. Colpi latched onto the rebound, but her volley failed to trouble Altenburg. Further Kiwi pressure followed seven minutes later, a well-worked corner routine which saw two players dummy Helena Errington's delivery before it reached Bercelli, whose shot, while on target, lacked the power to threaten a goal. A better-timed shot, however … great initiative, nonetheless. Doubtless coach Birnie was delighted to see a training ground ploy work so well on the biggest stage possible for his young charges, too. After this scare, the Germans realised this wasn't going to be quite the stroll they were expecting, so rolled their sleeves up accordingly. Feinberg-Danieli produced a marvellous last-ditch save to prevent Alber's long-range effort from swerving into the top far corner eleven minutes before half-time, while from the resulting corner, Sehitler just failed to make contact with Alber's delivery to the far post. Alber and Sehitler teamed up again three minutes later, the latter seeing her goalbound effort blocked by Green, while the German double act created more mayhem in the 43rd minute, Alber's short

free-kick inviting Sehitler to strut her stuff. Four players were left trailing in her wake when she let fly from twenty yards, an effort which sizzled over the crossbar. Still they pressed. Bender picked up the ball on the right before seeing her cross headed out by Green. Bartz was the beneficiary, but her header struck the post - a let-off for the Young Ferns, who survived another scare before the break, Steiner curling a twenty-yarder inches past the far post with Feinberg-Danieli well beaten by the shot. New Zealand's number one was called upon twice inside the opening three minutes of the second spell to keep out a shot on the turn from half-time substitute Svea Stoldt, then another driven effort by Sehitler. The Young Ferns responded through Clegg, who set sail down the left before cutting inside and unleashing a shot which drew a near post save from Altenburg in the 52nd minute. There was only one way the Germans were going to overcome this defiance by their already eliminated opponents, and sure enough, they found the way to goal just two minutes later. Bender set off on another charging run before bringing the highly influential Alber into play through the inside-right channel. The scorer of the first goal, as she had on that occasion, continued her run, and was on hand to turn home Alber's cross - 2-1 Germany. On the hour, they made it 3-1, Sehitler sending Feinberg-Danieli the wrong way from the penalty spot after the goalkeeper had brought down the playmaker in the area, a goal which effectively ended the Young Ferns' stubborn resistance, although they wouldn't lie down quietly … Before New Zealand's next attacking cameo, Alber and Bartz combined to pick out Stoldt, who evaded a challenge in the area before seeing her shot tipped round the post by Feinberg-Danieli, who was beaten by a Melina Krueger finish in the 68th minute, only for the Video Assistant Referee to intervene - Bartz came back from an offside position to meet Leila Portella's overhead kick and set up Krueger for the shot. Zoe Benson was introduced to the fray just before the hour mark, and in half-an-hour suggested promise aplenty where her prospects are concerned. On the evidence of their displays in this match, Colpi, Cook and Benson were deserving of more game-time in this tournament, ideally from the kick-off. Alas, twas not to be, and one can only muse on the impact they'd have made had more opportunities to shine gone their way. Seconds after Benson's close call, VAR was having a gander at a potential penalty for the Young Ferns, but after a lengthy wait, during which time the gathering storm clouds gained increasing attention, Veit's timely tackle on Ingham was deemed legal. The Germans finished the match with a flourish, Lilith Schmidt and Portella both being denied by Feinberg-Danieli in the last twelve minutes, while both Stoldt and Schmidt hit the crossbar as the Kiwis rode their luck in between their efforts, Running time in the match duly reached ninety minutes, but with the approaching storm offering the threat of lightning strikes, Moroccan referee Bouchira Karboubi brought proceedings to a close before any stoppage time - seven minutes worth! - could be played. Fair enough, with player safety uppermost in mind. But what happened next was utterly bizarre!! The teams were going through their usual post-match routines when referee Karboubi, having consulted with a few folk in between times, decided that the storm had now passed, so deemed that the stoppage time phase of the contest could now take place. Cue protests aplenty from both camps, in vain, of course. Play they eventually did, although not before coming up with a cunning plan … in the best traditions of Blackadder and Baldrick, the players, German and Kiwis alike, spent seven minutes treating the match official with absolute contempt as they passed the ball among themselves around the centre circle, Ms Karboubi all the while running around among them, encouraging them to play properly … Mad! Bizarre! Stark raving bonkers, in fact! And all seven minutes were played as well! When the final whistle sounded, Germany was confirmed as group winners thanks to this 3-1 win over a New Zealand team which could be proud of their best performance of these FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup Finals, despite its surreal conclusion - no one involved will forget this game in a hurry! It leaves them homeward bound, although one suspects that somewhere far ahead of them in the departures queue at the airport, they'll find a certain Moroccan match official … Germany:     Altenburg; Walbeck, Dehm, Veit, Deyss; Bartz, Schmidt, Sehitler (Portella, 64); Bender (Gloning, 79), Alber (Krueger, 64), Steiner (Stoldt, 46) Young Ferns:     Feinberg-Danieli; Elliott (Trewhitt, 65), Green (booked, 32), McMillan (booked, 41), Haering (booked, 73); Cook (Mortlock, 46), Colpi (Page, 81), Errington (Nathan, 58), Bercelli (Benson, 58); Ingham, Clegg Referee:     Bouchira Karboubi (Morocco)