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Late Spanish Goals Break Young Ferns' Resistance

by Jeremy Ruane

An impressive, grittily performed Young Ferns side ultimately ran out of legs in the 32C heat at the Al Hassan International Stadium in Irbid, Jordan, on 3 October, as they went down 2-0 to Spain in their latest match at the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup Finals.

The Spanish dominated possession and, resultingly, all the statistics, but they had the devil's own job breaking down the tactical plan employed by Young Ferns coach Gareth Turnbull, who called upon Saskia Vosper to occupy the troublesome right back berth, and Alosi Bloomfield to anchor the midfield, a role the Lotto Northern Premier Women's League's Most Improved Player for 2016 performed with immense elan.

The two newcomers, but particularly Bloomfield, added some much-needed solidity to the Young Ferns, who held out the runners-up in this competition two years ago until ten minutes from time - and even then, it took a thirty yard 'worldie' to finally get the better of Anna Leat, whose performance twixt the sticks was much improved from that produced against Mexico.

There were openings at both ends of the park in the fifth minute of the match, with the Young Ferns enjoying the first of them. Malia Steinmetz's through ball created the opening, but before Emma Main, the other newcomer to the starting line-up, could capitalise, Noelia Ramos raced out of goal to send the ball hurtling downfield.

Her clearance picked out Candela Andujar on the left flank, from where she looked to pick out Lorena Navarro, Spain's five-goal heroine from their opening game against Jordan, inside her. But the combined efforts of Rebecca Lake and Ally Toailoa prevented the striker from looking to add to her tally on this occasion.

Lake then blocked another Navarro effort four minutes later, following some lovely, patient approach play by the Spaniards, produced another slick move in the thirteenth minute, with Andujar at its heart.

She worked a one-two with Anna Torroda before getting in behind Vosper and darting along the by-line, from where she pulled the ball back. Fortunately for the Young Ferns, it was just behind Navarro, allowing Toailoa to clear the sphere to the edge of the penalty area. Silvia Rubio latched onto it, but the massed ranks of white-clad Kiwis ensured she made no further progress.

Rubio went close with a header from an Eva Navarro cross six minutes later, but in between times, New Zealand had gone close to taking a surprise lead. Jacqui Hand's work on the right created an opening upon which Main swooped, but she was just beaten to the ball by Ramos, who once more raced out of her penalty area to clear the danger.

Spain were having great difficulty prising open the Young Ferns, with Bloomfield and Nicole Mettam presenting a very solid screen in front of the back four, in tandem with Steinmetz and Grace Jale just ahead of them.

Every so often, however, they would work an opening, such as in the 25th minute, when Andujar teamed up with Torroda again, this time for Rubio's benefit. Her eighteen yard volley was grabbed by Leat, who was also right behind a twenty yard volley from the same player two minutes later, following a Damaris Egurrola free-kick.

Andujar was the player offering the greatest threat to the Young Ferns, and to her Spain turned once again in the 31st minute. Benefiting from a ricochet, the winger whipped in a cross to the far post which the increasingly frustrated figure of Lorena Navarro fired into the side-netting, a sight which did little to quell her temper tantrum.

Eleven minutes before half-time, Leyre Monente spread play wide once more to Andujar, who this time went for goal herself. Skipping past Vosper, she then swept round Lake, only for Leat to dash off her line and block the flank player's shot with her legs at close range.

Right on the stroke of half-time, the Young Ferns came desperately close to breaking the deadlock. Vosper threw the ball in to Jale, who surged into the penalty area, only to see her cross blocked.

The rebound sat up perfectly for Hand, who unleashed a first time curler which arced narrowly past the far post, much to the relief of the Spanish, whose dominance had been matched by the Kiwis' courage throughout the first forty-five minutes.

Straight from the resumption of play, New Zealand looked to open the scoring again. This time, Jale slipped a pass to Hand, who worked a one-two with Steinmetz before picking out Main with a cross to the near post. Darting in to meet the ball, the striker sent the sphere sizzling past the near post.

That served as a wake-up call to the Spanish, who replied in kind four minutes later, Rubio firing a twenty-five yarder past Leat's left-hand post after Lucia Rodriguez and Eva Navarro had teamed up to good effect on the right.

That was as close as Spain got to New Zealand's goal during the first fifteen minutes of the half, prompting coach Maria Is to make a change. Nerez Eizaguirre was introduced to the fray, and quickly made her presence known, weaving past two opponents on the left before whipping in a cross which fizzed across the face of goal - a warning shot across the Young Ferns' bows if ever there was one!

The fresh legs invigorated the Spanish, who have a burgeoning reputation in age-grade women's football, having reached the finals of both the UEFA U-19 and U-17 Women's Championships in each of the past three seasons - they are without question a nation on the rise in the women's game.

And they were beginning to get the upper hand in this contest. Bloomfield produced a superbly timed tackle to deny Andujar in the area in the 65th minute, while only captain Michaela Foster's terrific recovering run and block prevented Eva Navarro from fully exploiting the Torroda pass which sent her racing down the right into space two minutes later.

Still they pressed, Egurrola and Andujar linking on the left, with the latter scampering past two before looking to pick out Lorena Navarro with a low cross. Toailoa's timely tackle prompted Spain to withdraw their diminutive number nine, who was far from pleased as she trudged off, the transition from five-goal hero to zero not one she welcomed. (And that's being polite!)

Claudia Pina was her replacement, but before she could make an impact on proceedings, Andujar came within the width of a post from breaking the deadlock. Latching onto the ball in the 71st minute, she cut inside and let rip with a shot which beat Leat for pace, only for the ball to cannon off the base of the post.

The Young Ferns scrambled the ball out for a corner, which Eizaguirre delivered onto the head of Natalia Ramos. The defender's effort was goalbound, only for Bloomfield to block it on the line.

Leat then produced a stunning one-handed save to her right to keep out another Rubio piledriver, this one a twenty-five yarder which had 'top far corner' written all over it until the 'keeper's 73rd minute intervention.

By this time, the dry heat was impacting on the Young Ferns, with Steinmetz and Hand having been withdrawn from the fray. When Bloomfield departed sixteen minutes from time, so immense had been her personal display that you somehow sensed that Spain would exploit the gaps she had been closing down, even though, from a New Zealand perspective, it wasn't something you wanted to see occur …

Eva Navarro's 75th minute rampage saw her take on and outpace Toailoa, who looked close to being out on her feet by this time. The winger's low cross, intended for Pina, was cut out by fellow substitute Claudia Bunge, but when Pina was played through by Egurrola two minutes later, the writing looked to be on the wall for the Young Ferns.

Toailoa couldn't keep up with the Spanish substitute, who reached the edge of the penalty area before shooting past the advancing figure of Leat. Sadly for Spain, she fired wide of the target too - 0-0 it remained.

But not for much longer. Rubio picked out Andujar with a cross-field ball which allowed the winger to scythe inside Bunge into the area. The combination of Lake and Leat thwarted her effort to break the deadlock, but following further Andujar industry seconds later, Spain made the breakthrough.

The winger's efforts saw the ball end up in the penalty area, from where it was cleared to an area some thirty yards from goal. Striding onto the sphere was Spanish skipper Laia Aleixandri, who sent a thunderous drive crashing into the top far corner of the net to the undisguised delight of her team-mates, and the utter despair of the Young Ferns - it took an absolute screamer to finally break their resistance.

Within two minutes, however, Turnbull's terriers came desperately close to levelling the scores. Leat sent the ball downfield, Main flicked it on, and substitute Hannah Blake was dashing through, outpacing a defender before looking to catch Noelia Ramos off her line. The newcomer's shot lacked accuracy, however, screwing past the far post.

It was a let-off for Spain, who, after Eva Navarro had sent a header from an Eizaguirre corner flashing over the bar, doubled their advantage five minutes from time. Rubio's defence-splitting pass sent Pina haring between Lake and Foster, and after shrugging off the latter, the substitute rounded the committed figure of Leat before rolling home the goal which finally sealed New Zealand's fate.

Before the final whistle, Leat saved well at the feet of Eizaguirre, while Main sent a shot on the run flying past the post, and a buccaneering run from Blake inspired a raid which was only foiled when a pass intended for Main struck the heel of a retreating Spanish defender, prompting the Kiwi substitute to pound the pitch in frustration.

It was a feeling Spain had endured for much of the match, but their brace of goals in the last ten minutes ultimately secured their passage into the quarter-finals of the 2017 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup, and left the Young Ferns facing up to the prospect of that unwanted early trip home, once they've faced host nation Jordan at 2am on Saturday, NZ time, in Al Zarqa.

Spain: Noelia Ramos; Rodriguez, Natalia Ramos, Aleixandri, Egurrola; E. Navarro, Torroda (Hernandez, 84), Rubio, Andujar; Monente (Eizaguirre, 59), L. Navarro (Pina, 71)

Young Ferns: Leat; Vosper, Lake, Toailoa, Foster; Mettam, Bloomfield (Blake, 74); Steinmetz (Krystman, 69), Jale; Main, Hand (Bunge, 69)

Referee: Park Ji Yeong (Korea Republic)

Project Jordan 2016