Two goals in six first half minutes from birthday girl Kealia Ohai helped the USA take full advantage of New Zealand's lack of experience and composure under pressure to cruise to a comfortable 5-0 victory at the Future Stars U-17 Invitational Tournament on North Harbour Stadium's outer oval on 31 January. Straight from the kick-off, the impressive Americans put the Young Ferns under pressure, Olivia Klei catching Rebecca Brown in possession half-way inside her own half and instantly playing the ball into Ohai, whose angled pass inside stand-in left-back Hannah Wall - the latest Young Fern to be tried in New Zealand's problem position - saw Courtney Verloo stride onto the sphere and slip a shot past Charlotte Wood. Fortunately for New Zealand, her effort ricocheted to safety off the far post, but it was far from the ideal start for the home team. However, they battled on bravely, never held up the white flag at any stage, and looked to attack themselves whenever the opportunity arose, which wasn't too frequently. One sporadic raid occurred in the sixth minute, when Brown pinged a ball forward for Sarah McLauglin to chase. She got in behind the otherwise peerless Crystal Dunn and unleashed a shot straight at Kelsey Wys, who was some way out of her goal and didn't have all her angles covered. The Americans' response saw them open the scoring in the tenth minute. Ohai and Klei combined to slip Verloo in between defenders inside the penalty area. Once again, she slipped a low shot past the advancing figure of Wood, with the `keeper this time getting her fingertips to the ball. But Verloo's effort was far more accurate than her previous attempt, and in it went - 1-0. The Young Ferns' staved off USA pressure aplenty over the next ten minutes or so, but there wasn't a lot of composure in their hasty clearances - it was more a case of all hands on deck, and let's hope for the best. That last phrase certainly applies where Rosie White is concerned, the effervescent Young Fern picking up a knee injury which saw her stretchered off in the 21st minute. While New Zealand was regrouping following this setback to their plans, the USA struck their second goal of the game. Ohai crowned her sixteenth birthday with a tap-in under pressure upon receipt of a low cross from Verloo, who had got in behind the New Zealand defence on the right and lured Wood out of goal before inviting her team-mate to mark her special day in the manner strikers most relish. The birthday girl wasn't satisfied with one goal,

however. After watching Jenna Richmond direct a header inches over the crossbar, and seeing Wood  smother her own 28th minute effort, Ohai doubled her tally for the game on the half-hour when sliding in to steer home another low cross from Verloo, after Mary Wagner had invited the striker to exploit the openings on the left-hand side of the Kiwis' defence once more. At this, Annalie Longo decided enough was enough, and straight from the kick-off the New Zealand international stormed downfield, evading three challenges en route before drilling a shot under pressure into the midriff of Wys. Her initiative gave her team-mates a welcome boost, but it was the USA who went closest to altering the scoreline before the half's conclusion. Ohai was denied her hat-trick by the combined efforts of Wood and the solidly-performed Bridgette Armstrong in the 33rd minute, while soon after, Klei directed an effort wide of the mark after Wood had flapped at a Wagner cross from the right. The second half begun in much the same manner as the first - the USA launched onto the offensive from the kick-off. Wall was fortunate to get away with not conceding a penalty in her efforts to restrain Wagner's progress, the makeshift fullback diving in with a last-ditch tackle from behind to thwart the American, as she looked to capitalise on an Erika Tymrak pass. Ohai was determined to crown her special day with a hat-trick, and in the 51st minute, she unleashed a ripper towards the top far corner of the net which had `goal' written all over it. Fortunately for New Zealand, Wood has a natural aversion to that particular word, and she produced a fine fingertip save to underline the fact - a top stop! The USA kept pressing. Klei's resulting corner was headed out by Caitlin Campbell to Tymrak, whose twenty-five yarder fizzed narrowly over the crossbar. Klei and Verloo then combined to present Wagner with another opportunity, but this time Armstrong stepped in to avert the danger. The Americans increased their advantage yet again in the 56th minute, and from New Zealand's perspective, it was a very poor goal to concede. Extremely so, in fact. Not only did Klei pick out the unmarked figure of Samantha Mewis with her corner, but the substitute's stooping ten-yard header bounced at least twice before it crossed the line of a goalmouth seemingly occupied by statues - 4-0. Cue another Longo raid, this time linking up with her fellow Football Fern, Campbell. In her last match as a sixteen-year-old, New Zealand's tallest player took the ball in her stride and thumped a

rising drive over the crossbar from fifteen yards. That was as close as the Young Ferns went to breaking their tournament goalscoring duck, although the introduction of the full-of-running Lauren Murray and a real hive of energy in Lauren Mathis, just after the hour mark, ensured that some much-needed vim and vigour was in evidence on the infrequent occasions when the opportunity to attack presented itself. The bulk of the final half-hour of the contest, however, saw a succession of American raids prompt Wood to become the most overworked player on the park, although Leah Gallie wasn't far behind in this capacity - she was Trojan-like at the epicentre of New Zealand's midfield throughout the match. True to form, Wood dealt capably with just about everything heading in her direction, a succession of shots from the Mewis sisters - Kristen had entered the fray on the hour mark, Wagner and substitute Tani Costa all demanding the `keeper's attention. Another, a thumping 78th minute twenty-five yarder from Kristen Mewis, brought the bet out of Wood, who tipped the ball over the bar in style. She couldn't keep the USA at bay forever, however, and after Costa had rattled the hoardings, the visitors employed route one to give them a nap hand. Wys' raking clearance was allowed to bounce, and Costa, dashing through in anticipation of just such an opening, coolly lobbed the advancing figure of Wood to make it 5-0 to the visitors four minutes from time. The scorer of the most recent goal twice tried to repeat the dose before the final whistle, colliding heavily with Wood in the first instance, as both players looked to exploit Alexis Harris' probing ball forward for their respective purposes. Having, like Wood, recovered from the treatment their coming together required, Costa hit the crossbar in stoppage time, after Wood had denied Verloo at close quarters. It was the final act of note in a match in which the Young Ferns learnt, at first hand, the value of cherishing possession, an aspect of the game at which the USA are particularly adept. New Zealand:     Wood; Brown, Fisher, Armstrong (Curtis, 82), Wall; Campbell (Mathis, 66), Longo, Gallie (booked, 75) (Fullerton, 82), White (Pearl, 21), Rollings (Mamanu-Grey, 66); McLaughlin (Murray, 66) USA:          Wys; Harris, Colohan, Dunn; Wagner (Costa, 70), Tymrak, Richmond (S. Mewis, 46), Klei; Verloo, Ohai, Roberts (K. Mewis, 59) Referee:     Kevin Stoltenkamp