USA U19s 190616

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USA U19s 190616

USA U19s Finish Solid Week On Winning Note

by Jeremy Ruane

The USA's U-19 women's team capped off an unbeaten week in Auckland on June 19, thumping the Junior Ferns 4-1 on a delightfully sunny day in front of a 250-strong crowd at QBE Stadium.

New Zealand's FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Finals contenders began brightly, Sophie Stewart-Hobbs igniting a delightful move in the fourth minute which also featured Paige Satchell, Grace Jale, Issy Coombes and Daisy Cleverley, whose through ball caught Jasmine Pereira on the back foot, allowing US goalkeeper Lauren Rood to gather comfortably.

It wasn't too long before the Americans settled into their stride, however, and in the ninth minute they fired their first shot in anger. Meikayla Moore won a foot-race with Cyera Hintzen, but trod on the ball, allowing the striker to swiftly combine with Shannon Simon to set up Ella Stevens for a teasing twenty-five yard effort which crashed against Tessa Nicol's crossbar.

The Junior Ferns survived that scare, but were soon on the back foot again as Liz Anton directed a clearance straight to Marissa Everett, whose twenty yard drive was beaten away well by the flying figure of Nicol.

The locals suffered a setback in the thirteenth minute when Jale went up for a header with Stevens and slumped to the ground motionless. Referee Chris Farnell stopped play immediately and summoned team physio Catherine Royce (nee Porteous) onto the park, and not too long afterwards she was assisting a rather groggy New Zealand international from the park.

Mikayla Wieblitz was introduced to the fray in Jale's place, but it was Cleverley who was soon in the spotlight again, supplying Pereira with a pass which allowed the striker to unleash a twenty-five yarder which Rood saved at the second attempt.

To this point, the game had been fairly even, but the USA soon began to gain the upper hand, and after Anton's vital clearance had denied the troublesome - to New Zealand - figure of Everett, the visitors broke the deadlock in the 28th minute.

Stevens swooped on a loose ball in midfield and swiftly linked with Everett, whose lay-off rewarded Simon's loop-around run, the midfielder promptly unleashing a fulminating twenty-five yard drive which crashed into the top left-hand corner of Nicol's net.

After Cleverley and the hard-working Coombes had both chanced their arm from distance in response to the goal, Moore stole forward and caught the unsuspecting Stevens in possession in the 36th minute. The Junior Ferns captain promptly unleashed a dipping thirty yarder which had Rood on red alert before it landed on the roof of her net.

The natives were having to resort to long-range efforts because all too often their passing lacked precision. As well, their play was at times a little ponderous, despite the inspiration offered by Paige Satchell's rocket-fuelled raids down the right, something which the Americans struggled to cope with throughout the week.

The speedster's interception brought about the last opportunity of the half, two minutes before half-time. Satchell brought the until now well policed Martine Puketapu into play, and the striker instantly played a reverse pass which caught out the USA's defence and left Pereira in one-on-one with Rood.

1-1, surely. It certainly should have been, but for some reason Pereira lacked the conviction to shoot with her left foot. By the time she'd lined up a right-foot shot, Rood was on top of her and blocked the effort at close range - a terrific chance spurned.

In attacking terms, the Junior Ferns began the second spell brightly, Satchell winning the ball from a cleared corner and setting up Stewart-Hobbs, whose twenty-five yard chipped attempt was greedily grabbed by Rood, who launched a counter-attack which culminated in a right wing throw-in.

Meanwhile, the natives were still in the dressing room, defensively speaking. And when no-one in white reacted to the aftermath of Everett's throw-in, Stevens gleefully thumped home a ten yard volley with such venom that Nicol was still diving in a vain attempt to keep it out when the ball was already rebounding off the netting behind her.

That 49th minute strike was very nearly added to within the next three minutes. Once again, New Zealand's central midfield and central defensive units were off watch as Everett rattled the bar with a twenty-five yarder, then Hintzen sent a shot flashing past Nicol's left-hand post.

Jade Parris and Juliana Los were instantly

despatched from the bench to warm up, and while they were doing so, their team-mates came close to halving the deficit on two occasions.

Satchell was the first to chance her arm. Pouncing on a stray pass some thirty-five yards out, she surged forward before unleashing a rising drive from the edge of the penalty area which Rood turned over her crossbar.

Three minutes later, Wieblitz delivered a delightfully weighted pass into the inside-right channel for Puketapu to take on in her stride before sending the ball narrowly over the crossbar.

The USA's response? Two goals in two minutes, because they can! The first of them, in the 64th minute, was the result of Stewart-Hobbs closing down Everett well inside the area, only to gift the ball straight to Simon, who gleefully slammed the ball home from ten yards, much to the dependable fullback's despair.

Two minutes later, a Jordan DiBiasi corner picked out Everett, whose goalbound bullet was blocked by Sarah Morton. Hintzen swooped on the rebound in a flash - 4-0, which prompted a couple of heads to drop.

Satchell, however, continued to be a brightly burning candle of hope, and twenty minutes from time, she set off on another of her pace-laden sorties before checking her progress to find Stewart-Hobbs racing up in support behind her.

The fullback welcomed the pass into her stride and instantly executed a teasing twenty-five yard chip which completely deceived Rood, only for the crossbar to come to the USA's rescue - the third time in the match the woodwork had intervened.

The visitors scrambled the ball clear, but only as far as Pereira - she worked her socks off for the cause, particularly with regard to tracking back to assist the defence. On this occasion, she was on the front foot, and picked out Puketapu with a cross which she headed down to Parris, whose goalbound shot was blocked to safety by Shannon Horgan.

Fifteen minutes from time, Stewart-Hobbs caught Cecilia Gee in possession on half-way and wasted no time in letting Pereira benefit from the fruits of her labours. The Football Fern forced her way past the covering figure of Michaela Kovacs, only to be thwarted by Rood once more.

With the crowd urging them on to at least get one goal back, the Junior Ferns obliged ten minutes from time, to the biggest cheer of the day. Pereira battled for possession thirty yards out from goal, with the arrival on the scene of Parris allowing the locals to gain the upper hand.

The substitute promptly brought Satchell into play, with the speedster suddenly finding herself with just Rood to beat. The 'keeper blocked the shot with her legs but the rebound was ruthlessly rammed home by Parris, whose striker's instincts earned her her second goal in as many matches against the USA.

Buoyed by the goal, the Junior Ferns spent the bulk of the remainder of the match hot on attack. Hannah Blake swooped on a stray pass and fired a twenty-five yarder past the far post, while a one-two between Anton and Pereira soon after allowed the defender to fire a cross beyond the far post.

Blake was the recipient, and duly invited Parris to get in on the act once more, only for Ally Prisock to intervene on this occasion. Cue another attack featuring the pony-tailed goal-poacher, who couldn't direct her flying header on target after Moore and Satchell had combined down the right.

The final act of note in the match saw Pereira charging down the right once more, prior to picking out substitute Sammy Murrell with a deep cross which the fullback met with a stinging shot on the run.

Rood was right behind it, ensuring the USA of a 4-1 victory on the day, and an unbeaten three-match tour, one which will be of great benefit to the Junior Ferns, who have quite a few areas in need of improvement, most notably in central midfield, where there is no room for passengers, and the left-hand side of defence.

Junior Ferns: Nicol; Stewart-Hobbs (Lake, 81), Moore, Anton, Morton (Murrell, 71); Coombes, Jale (Wieblitz, 16 (Parris, 61)), Cleverley (Los, 61); Satchell, Puketapu (Blake, 72), Pereira

USA U19s: Rood; Doyle, Prisock, Kovacs (Jaworski, 87), Horgan (Pederson, 81); Stevens (Hill, 72), Simon (Dewaal, 90), DiBiasi; Everett (Eubanks, 66), Hintzen, Gee (Braby, 77)

Referee: Chris Farnell

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