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Paraguay

Ideal Start For Junior Ferns In Canada

by Jeremy Ruane

Two goals in the shadows of the half-time whistle fired New Zealand's Junior Ferns to a 2-0 victory over Paraguay at Montreal's Olympic Stadium on 6 August, ensuring Aaron McFarland's side of the ideal start to their FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Finals campaign.

It was a workmanlike performance at best from the victors in a match which rarely sparkled, with the inexperienced Paraguayans, who were making their debut at this level on the world stage, rarely threatening Lily Alfeld's goal.

That said, the Junior Ferns didn't exactly keep Paraguayan goalkeeper Cristina Recalde overly active either. A couple of long-range efforts from Evie Millynn inside the opening sixteen minutes were all the Oceania champions could muster attack-wise early in a contest between two well-matched sides.

In between these efforts, a fine block tackle by Emily Jensen thwarted fifteen-year-old Jessica Martinez in the sixth minute, after she had caught Millynn in possession, the first of a number of instances where New Zealand's defensive midfield pivot either turned into traffic or was stripped of the ball, errors she often made up for by winning it back when tracking opponents' runs.

Veronica Kurtz spurned the best chance of the match so far on the quarter hour, blazing over the bar on the run after Soledad Garay's through ball had come after she intercepted a Jensen clearance.

Three minutes later, the South Americans were in again, this time down the right through Fabiola Delvalle, whose overlapping run was rewarded by Martinez's measured pass into her stride - quite where fullback Megan Lee had got to only she knows.

Delvalle undid all her good work - she was initially afforded the freedom of the penalty area - by opting to pull the back rather than go for goal herself. It allowed the covering figure of Meikayla Moore to stretch out a leg and divert the ball towards the retreating figure of Jensen.

She mopped up the danger and sparked a counter-attack which culminated in the hard-working figure of Steph Skilton letting rip from twenty-five yards. Recalde couldn't hold onto the shot, but recovered the ball before Emma Rolston could swoop to turn home the rebound.

Daisy Cleverley and captain Katie Bowen combined on the right two minutes later, the latter whipping in a cross intended for Rolston's head. Paraguay's diminutive captain, Jennifer Mora, rose to the challenge and headed the ball to safety on this occasion.

The Junior Ferns went desperately close to breaking the deadlock in the 24th minute. Skilton played a one-two with Bowen before brilliantly outfoxing two opponents. Another one-two, this time with Cleverley, saw the striker surge into the penalty area, at which point Skilton directed her shot straight at Recalde - either side of her and New Zealand would surely have been celebrating a fine goal.

Martinez matched that piece of skill at the other end of the park seven minutes later. The youngster side-stepped Catherine Bott, then evaded both Moore and Jensen with a deft body swerve before slipping a pass into the stride of Kurtz, who sent a fifteen-yard drive sizzling inches past the right-hand post of the full-stretch figure of Alfeld.

That close call was followed by another sixty seconds later. Once again, Lee was missing, presumed having a good time on the left-hand side of New Zealand's defence, for Delvalle found herself in yards of space as she charged into the penalty area off the right flank.

As before, she lacked the courage of her convictions, spurning the chance to shoot and opting, instead, to set up a team-mate. This time, Soledad Garay was up in support, but Alfeld comfortably smothered her shot, much to the Junior Ferns' relief.

Five minutes before half-time, the Kiwis opened the scoring. Bowen - she had a terrific match - set off on a driving run through midfield, evading three challenges before sliding a pass into Skilton.

She swiftly steered the sphere into the stride of Rolston, who side-stepped a defender before curling a delicious effort from the edge of the penalty area passed another and in between Recalde and her near post - 1-0 to the Junior Ferns, whose joy was unconfined.

It was soaring through the stratosphere three minutes later, as Skilton doubled their lead. Seconds after a Martinez header had failed to trouble Alfeld, New Zealand earned a free-kick on half-way, which Moore knocked through the inside-right channel.

Pursuing it was Bowen, who kept on chasing the ball as Paraguay looked to let it run out of play for a goal-kick. Bad move, for Bowen's relentlessness was rewarded as she hooked her foot round the ball just before the by-line and scooped a cross over Recalde and into the goalmouth. With the goal at her mercy, Skilton couldn't miss …

It was a buoyant Junior Ferns squad which headed to the dressing rooms at half-time, and a desperate Paraguayan unit which emerged for the second half needing to score next if they harboured any hopes of marking their debut at a FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Finals in the desired manner.

New Zealand certainly looked to aid their cause in the early stages of the half, making a right pig's ear of a rudimentary clearance just two minutes after Ukrainian referee Kateryna Monzul - she made some interesting calls … - had signalled play to resume.

Paraguay next threatened in the 54th minute, when the Junior Ferns were temporarily down to nine players, with Bowen one of the absentees. But substitute Silvana Romero couldn't get enough purchase on her effort, following a free-kick, to trouble Alfeld.

Bowen returned to the fray, and was responsible for New Zealand's next threat on goal, on the hour. A well-flighted free-kick picked out substitute Tayla O'Brien amid a posse of Junior Ferns in Paraguay's penalty area, but her attempt to increase her country's advantage was diverted to safety by a defender, not that you would have known from the officials' decision - goal kick!

Five minutes later, the sight of a Paraguayan corner zooming untouched through their own goal area gave the Junior Ferns a scare, as did Millynn's latest instance of getting caught in possession, just outside her penalty area in the 67th minute.

Martinez stripped her of the ball, and instantly linked with Tania Espinola, whose fifteen yard effort under pressure flew past the near post of Alfeld's goal.

Millynn was involved at the other end of the park moments later, and came within a couple of feet of making complete amends for her errors. Bott and O'Brien combined on the right near half-way before Skilton was brought into play. She swept the ball across the park into the stride of Millynn, whose attempted chip of Recalde was well grabbed by the 'keeper.

Seeing this inspired Romero to try the same tactic in the 73rd minute. Her effort landed on the roof of Alfeld's net at the same time as Lee was trudging begrudgingly off the park, tears tumbling down her cheeks after she had slumped to the ground at the start of this Paraguayan attack. Ashleigh Ward swiftly replaced her.

The South Americans were also briefly down to ten players inside the final ten minutes, substitute Laurie Cristaldo having to leave the pitch on a stretcher after landing awkwardly. Before she returned, Ward stung the gloves of Recalde with a thirty-yard free-kick.

Four minutes from time, the game's only yellow card was issued - referee Monzul could perhaps have brandished it on at least two earlier occasions. But Jensen should know better than to produce a WWF move and throw her opponent to the ground at any time, let alone in the heat of battle in a FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Finals fixture - she was asking for what she deservedly got!

Paraguay produced one last chance in stoppage time - Fanny Godoy met a Mora free-kick on the volley which cleared the crossbar by not a lot - but New Zealand, while not playing anywhere near as well as this group of players is capable, were too good where it mattered most, both experience-wise and, crucially, on the scoreboard too.

Junior Ferns: Alfeld; Bott, Moore, Jensen (booked, 86), Lee (Ward, 74); Bowen, Millynn, Cleverley; Puketapu (O'Brien, 58), Skilton, Rolston (Pereira, 80)

Paraguay: Recalde; Mora, Riso, R. Godoy; Delvalle (Benitez, 51), F. Godoy, Garay (Cristaldo, 57), Hermosilla; Espinola, Kurtz (Romero, 52), Martinez

Referee: Kateryna Monzul (Ukraine)

Project Canada 2014