Spain

The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website | home

Spain

Spanish Senoritas Dash Kiwi Dreams

by Jeremy Ruane

Spain ended New Zealand's hopes of reaching their maiden FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup Final at a rain-soaked Estadio Charrua in Montevideo on November 28, overcoming the Young Ferns 2-0 to write another chapter in their own impeccable history in age-grade international women's football.

The four-time European U-17 champions were runners-up in this competition four years ago, and have also finished third on two other occasions, but see Uruguay 2018 as their chance to finally claim a Women's World Cup triumph at age-grade level, having finished runners-up in the U-20 Finals in France earlier this year.

But the playing conditions and the utter conviction of their opponents to continue to make history in this ground-breaking tournament meant the Spanish had a hard road to hoe before they eventually got over the finish line.

The start of the contest was very even, both teams spending as much time getting used to the conditions as they did sizing up their opponents in what, it goes without saying, was the biggest match every single one of these players has taken part in.

Spain made the first move, in the eleventh minute. Eva Navarro was considered such a threat by Young Ferns coach Leon Birnie that he swapped his fullbacks to try to contain the lively flank player, but Mackenzie Barry's first encounter with Navarro saw the Spaniard scooting in off the right, only to be denied by Anna Leat's save at her feet.

Navarro went down in her challenge and, as is sadly such a common sight in those countries in which football's "dark arts" are regularly employed - Latin American nations in particular are notorious in this regard - out came the pleas for a penalty. Thankfully for football, referee Yoshimi Yamashita was perfectly placed to see the whole incident, and Navarro was told to get on and play the game in the right spirit.

The Young Ferns struck back six minutes later, Kelli Brown's dipping thirty yarder on the turn startling Catalina Coll as it arced narrowly past her left-hand upright. Had it gone in, Brown would have equalled the record for most goals by a New Zealander at U-17 level, Hannah Blake's haul of seventeen the target for all strikers to beat.

Aneka Mittendorff's timely tackle in the area twenty minutes into the match brought to an end the run of Salma Paralluelo, who had already evaded two opponents. The Young Ferns' captain wasn't to be the third.

Inspired by her captain's example, Gabrielle Rennie applied pressure aplenty to the Spanish defence four minutes later as she sought to break the deadlock. Nerea Nevado's vital touch put paid to her ambitions on this occasion.

Two minutes later, however, Rennie was back, this time played in by Amelia Abbott. With Brown racing in on the far post, the right flank raider went for goal herself, only to see Coll save at the near post.

Rennie rampaged past two more opponents when tearing in off the right flank in the 29th minute, before laying the ball back to Macey Fraser. She unleashed a dipping drive which was bound for the far corner of the net until Coll tipped the shot onto the crossbar.

That was a genuine scare for Spain, who responded via playmaker Claudia Pina. In the 34th minute, she took charge of proceedings and engineered some space in which to hit a twenty-yarder which grazed the post.

That proved to be a warning shot across the Young Ferns' bows, for five minutes later, Pina fired Spain in front. A wild shot from long-range careered out towards the corner flag, but Navarro kept the ball alive.

When her cross came in, Hannah Mackay-Wright failed to get decent purchase on her clearing header. The ball dropped invitingly into the stride of Pina, who afforded Leat no chance of saving her swerving ten-yarder.

Straight from the start of the second spell, the Young Ferns went on the attack, with Abbott, Grace Wisnewski and Fraser combining to slip

Maggie Jenkins - for once in this match, not offside - into the penalty area.

Why she failed to get her head up and assess the situation only she will know, but her instincts saw her deliver a weak low cross which Coll wasted little time in snaffling. Reality should have seen Jenkins check inside and at least hit the target with a shot.

That miss proved crucial, for in the 48th minute Spain grabbed a crucial second goal. Jane Fernandez's cross again found Mackay-Wright wanting when it came to heading the threat to safety.

Her clearance landed into the stride of Irene Lopez, who unleashed a stunning first-time twenty-five yard half-volley which the diving figure of Leat got her fingertips to, but couldn't divert from its destination - 2-0.

With that goal, you somehow sensed that the Young Ferns' hopes of reaching New Zealand's inaugural FIFA World Cup Final in any competition were over, particularly with Spain's penchant for possession football. And the European champions came very close to scoring a third goal two minutes after netting their second.

Paola Hernandez released Navarro in behind the defence on the right, and she charged into the penalty area before being thwarted by the approaching figure of Leat, who blocked the shot well, and must surely be a very strong contender for FIFA's Golden Glove award as Goalkeeper of the Tournament.

Seconds later, Eva Alonso sent Navarro haring through, but Mackay-Wright blocked her shot, with Leat gathering Alonso's attempt to capitalise upon the rebound. That prompted the introduction of Maya Hahn to New Zealand's midfield, with the substitute not wasting any time in making her presence known, her twenty-five yarder on the hour sizzling past the post following an Aneka Mittendorff free-kick.

Further Young Ferns' substitutions followed, with Britney Cunningham-Lee making a notable impact as she brushed off opponents while making her driving runs, at the culmination of the first of which she presented Abbott with a shooting chance.

Coll grabbed that 82nd minute thirty-yarder, and was called upon to save again seconds later, Hahn the player thwarted this time after Cunningham-Lee had once more stormed past two Spaniards who were caught napping by the newcomer's raw power.

There was only one way they could stop her in the end, and Spanish substitute Aixa Salvador took one for the team as she felled Cunningham-Lee from behind three minutes from time.

The Young Ferns substitute inspired her team-mates to keep on going, however, and Wisnewski followed her example soon after, catching Ana Tejada in possession before being denied by the commanding figure of Coll.

Spain responded with their go-to option, Navarro on the right. She careered past three opponents in stoppage time before picking out Tejada with a cross. After evading a challenge, she let fly, but Mackay-Wright headed it to safety - how she must wish she'd done that twice more in this match. But a maiden final for New Zealand was not to be.

Instead, it will be the third place play-off with Canada at 8am NZ time on Sunday at this same venue for the Young Ferns, a match which will be followed three hours later by the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup Final between Spain and Mexico, a match which the watching New Zealanders will doubtless think, "On another day, that could have been us".

Third place - in the circumstances, an opportunity not to be sniffed at - still could be.

Spain: Coll; Fernandez, Mendez, Tejado, Nevado; Alonso, Hernandez, Lopez (Arana, 73), Pralluelo (Salvador, 77 (booked, 87)); Navarro (Okoye, 90), Pina

Young Ferns: Leat; Van der Meer, Mackay-Wright, Mittendorff, Barry; Fraser (Hahn, 52), Abbott, Wisnewski; Rennie, Jenkins (Pratt, 76), Brown (Cunningham-Lee, 76)

Referee: Yoshimi Yamashita (Japan)

Project Uruguay 2018