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Uruguay

Young Ferns Come From Behind To Reach Last Eight

by Jeremy Ruane

New Zealand's Young Ferns created history at the Estadio Charrua in Montevideo on November 16, coming from behind to down host nation Uruguay 2-1 and become just the third Kiwi side - the first at U-17 level - to reach the quarter-finals of a FIFA tournament.

The FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup Finals hosts dominated proceedings early doors, and after Kelli Brown and Karol Bermudez had exchanged long-range shots, Uruguay opened the scoring in the eighth minute, to the undisguised delight of the vast majority in the 4,619-strong crowd.

Agustina Caraballo's raking clearance allowed Belen Aquino to ignite the afterburners, and she tore past two opponents before slipping the ball across to front-running partner Esperanza Pizarro.

She unleashed a twenty yard firecracker which Anna Leat was quite content to leave alone until it cannoned off the crossbar, by which time any reactions by the 'keeper were far too late. For Aquino had carried on her run into the penalty area, and fair belted home the rebound to give her country the perfect start to a match they simply had to win to maintain their hopes of reaching the last eight.

With Ghana having beaten Finland 3-1 in the day's earlier encounter, Leon Birnie's side knew that their destiny was very much in their hands going into this match, but their nervous start, allied to the concession of an early goal, suggested that situation may have been a tad detrimental - New Zealand football sides aren't noted for leading from the front on the world stage, after all.

But the black-clad Young Ferns gradually found their way back into the contest, a twelfth minute Macey Fraser free-kick the first sign that the Uruguayans weren't going to have this all their own way.

Amelia Abbott headed Fraser's delivery across to Brown, whose downward header invited Aneka Mittendorff to let fly. She snatched at the chance, however, steering it past the far post from ten yards.

After Grace Wisnewski had stung the gloves of Caraballo from twenty-five yards, Mackenzie Barry made some in-roads down the right in the 20th minute before delivering a tantalising cross to the far post. Brown and Wisnewski were poised to pounce, but Caraballo proved sound under pressure on this occasion.

Leat was little troubled by a long-range Deyna Morales free-kick soon afterwards, but this was by now a rare Uruguayan chance - the majority of the match was being played near Caraballo's goal, and twice in a ten-minute spell, the host nation were forced to resume play from half-way thanks to Young Ferns goals.

The equaliser materialised in the 26th minute. Barry linked with Gabrielle Rennie on the right, the flank player driving to the by-line before whipping in a wicked cross which Brown headed inside to Maggie Jenkins.

She prodded a shot between two defenders and Caraballo which, while lacking power-wise, proved every bit as effective as it struck the post. Wisnewski was following in - 1-1, despite Cecilia Gomez's despairing efforts to deny the effort.

Ten minutes later, the Young Ferns silenced the natives in the best way possible. Fraser's free-kick was flicked on by Mittendorff to Jenkins, who once more rattled the woodwork with her shot. This time, Brown was following in - 2-1.

Uruguay were rattled, and could have conceded twice more before the interval, with Fraser instrumental on both occasions. The first, an angled 43rd minute pass intended for Rennie, would have left the striker one-on-one with Caraballo had Antonella Ferradans not produced a timely interception on the edge of her penalty area.

Seconds later, Fraser was on the rampage again, this time a jinking run into the penalty area which came to an abrupt halt when she was felled by Morales. Rwandan referee Salina Mukansanga took a long time to make her decision, then chose wrongly - this was as clear-cut a penalty as you will see, and the Young Ferns should have been presented with the chance to make it 3-1 in the shadows of the half-time whistle.

The second spell was a rugged, foul-riddled affair, with Uruguay's natural tendency to utilise the "dark arts" earning them many a free-kick at the Young Ferns' expense, as the home team milked any incident for all it was worth, not that they achieved a great deal by doing so.

Aquino and Pizarro ran themselves ragged for the cause, but met their match in the Mittendorff-marshalled defence, with the skipper - co-winner with substitute Rose Luxton of the Northern Premier Women's League's Young Player of the Year award in 2018 - in commanding form, ensuring Leat had little to do in the second half after punching a Morales free-kick to safety in the 57th minute.

There were few scoring opportunities of note in the half. Jenkins' touch failed her upon receipt of a Rennie cross in the 62nd minute, while both Fraser and Luxton stung the gloves of Caraballo from twenty yards inside the final quarter hour, the former following a cleared Mittendorff free-kick, the latter after the goalscorers had combined on the left.

Brown won't want to see a replay of her 81st minute attempt to settle the contest anytime soon - she sliced it so badly that it careered out for a throw-in approximately level with the edge of the penalty area!

Luxton had the ball in the net three minutes later, but her celebrations were curtailed by referee Mukansanga's whistle, the official having spotted a foul by Ayla Pratt on Sofia Ramondegui in the build-up.

Uruguay were getting desperate by now, and a wild long-range effort by Bermudez in stoppage time summed up their situation. It was the last attempt on goal in the match, and when the final whistle sounded soon after, the despair of defeat for the Uruguayans contrasted starkly with the uncontained joy of the Young Ferns - FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup quarter-finalists with a game to spare.

That match, against Ghana, kicks off at 9am on Wednesday, with the winners clinching top place in the group and a clash against the runners-up from Group B, while the Group A runners-up take on the Group B winners - either Japan or Mexico - in their quarter-final encounter.

Uruguay: Caraballo; Lopez, Ramondegui, Olivera (booked, 73), Ferradans; C. Gomez (A. Gomez, 77), Bermudez, D. Morales, Dominguez (Gonzalez, 82); Pizarro, Aquino (Y. Morales, 66)

Young Ferns: Leat; Barry, Mackay-Wright (booked, 34), Mittendorff, Van der Meer; Wisnewski, Abbott, Fraser (booked, 48) (Luxton, 75); Rennie (Pratt, 82), Jenkins (Hahn, 90), Brown

Referee: Salima Mukansanga (Rwanda)

Project Uruguay 2018