Columbia held fast-finishing Denmark to a 1-1 draw in front of 6759 mainly school-aged fans at North Harbour Stadium on October 29, concluding the first round of Group A action in the inaugural FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup Finals. The South American champions enjoyed plenty of possession early on in the game, but the bulk of it was inside their own half, as they looked to build from the back. The Danes proved the more incisive combination, with their more accomplished approach work evident as early as the eighth minute, when they constructed the game's first attack of note. Fine work by the outstanding Pernille Harder saw her evade two challenges before threading a delicious angled pass through Columbia's defence for the speedy Linette Andreasen to latch onto. Her effort was blocked by goalkeeper Paula Forero, who was grateful to her team-mates for averting any further danger. Columbia didn't have long to wait till they found themselves under fire again. The surging Sofia Junge sent Andreasen racing down the right once more, but upon entering the penalty area, her low cross was blocked to safety by Natalia Gaitan. The Danes resorted to route one in the twelfth minute, fullback Britta Olsen playing the ball back to goalkeeper Lene Gissel, who launched it forward with interest aplenty. Andreasen gave chase, but Forero anticipated the threat well, racing well out of her penalty area to clear the danger. The Columbians hadn't truly threatened to this point, but fired a warning shot across Denmark's bows. Louise Brix was caught in possession by Paola Sanchez, who dashed to the edge of the penalty area before rattling the side-netting with a firm eighteenth minute drive. The warning clearly went unheeded, because two minutes later, Columbia opened the scoring. Captain and playmaker, Yorely Rincon, played a neat pass through which Olsen, in her keenness to clear, sent cannoning into Nina Frausing Pedersen. The rebound fell perfectly into the stride of Tatiana Ariza, the more attack-oriented twin in the Columbian line-up - sister Natalia impressed in defence. The striker steered the ball home unerringly past the advancing Gissel and in by the far post - 1-0 to the South American champions. Denmark were temporarily stunned by this development, but soon set about restoring parity. Simone Boye sent Andreasen rampaging down the right, and her first-time cross found Amanda Hohol arriving on cue near the penalty spot. The midfielder completely mistimed her shot, however, which allowed Columbia to breathe easily for the moment. Ten minutes before half-time, Danish pressure forced a corner, which Hohol hoisted to the far post. Boye headed the ball inside for Andreasen who headed over from three yards under pressure from Forero. Seconds later, the ponderous Liana Salazar was caught in possession by Junge as she dribbled out of defence. The Danish midfielder let fly with a twenty yard shot which failed to curl towards the far post. Korean referee Cha Sung Mi had a game she would rather forget, with her most notable oversight occurring two minutes before the half-time whistle.

Pedersen was guilty of a none-too-gentle shove on Ingrid Vidal just outside the penalty area as the striker looked to get past her, which saw the Columbian tumble, collecting the diving Gissel with her flailing leg a split-second later. How a twice-taken drop ball resulted, instead of a cut-and-dried free-kick in Columbia's favour, simply defies logic! Denmark sought to restore parity right on the stroke of half-time. Again, Andreasen was the outlet, Boye releasing her this time. A beautifully weighted cross found Katrine Veje timing her run from the left flank to perfection, and she duly guided the ball over the advancing Forero a split-second before colliding with her. The `keeper was left requiring treatment, but was relieved to discover, upon her recovery, that her efforts had been enough to force Veje to lift the ball over the bar as well. Danish coach Bent Eriksen must have read the riot act to his charges at half-time, because they came out like women possessed! The pace of the game lifted dramatically as a result, and within six minutes, earned the Danes an equaliser. A super corner from Hohol, right into the heart of Columbia's goalmouth, saw Andreasen get the better of Forero in the air - the `keeper wasn't exactly confidence personified under the high ball! On this occasion, the sphere fell perfectly for Boje, who gleefully bundled home the equaliser by the far post - 1-1. Within two minutes, they came close to taking the lead. Boje buccaneered down the right before crossing to the near post, where an untimely ricochet off the retreating Natalia Ariza gave Forero all sorts of issues to attend to, not least because Harder was hovering menacingly. The `keeper stood her ground well to save at the striker's feet, then greedily grabbed the ball to mop up the danger four minutes later, after another Hohol corner had been headed down by Junge for Boye, who was initially thwarted by Sanchez's timely tackle. After a rare Columbian counter-attack had seen Salazar sting Gissel's gloves with a twenty-yarder, the Danes continued to pound away in an effort to complete their come-from-behind objective. Veje stormed down the left at pace before whipping in a cross which found Salazar struggling to stave off the threats posed by Harder, Laerke Lillelund Michaelsen and Andreasen, who ultimately assumed possession from the defender. But Salazar received superb support from Gaitan, who got her body between the striker and the goal, jockeying Andreasen away from the target and averting the threat - a terrific piece of defensive play in the 63rd minute. Three minutes later, a clever free-kick variation saw Hohol shape to hoist the ball goalwards, only to roll it square some thirty yards out from the target. Brix strode onto the sphere and, under pressure, unleashed a dipping effort which hit the roof of the net. Seconds later, Harder - the dynamic Dane had a great game - evaded a challenge before slipping Veje through the inside left channel. She raced on before letting rip with a twenty yarder which careered past

the far post with Forero diving in vain. The openness of the play left one sensing an enthralling finish was in store, but for a while both defences stood firm in the face of mounting pressure at both ends of the park. Sure enough, patrons weren't disappointed. Vidal caught Line Sigvardsen Jensen in possession just outside the area, but Denmark's captain recovered well to play the ball back to Gissel, who calmly picked it up. Referee Cha immediately - and correctly - signalled an indirect free-kick, deeming the defender had passed the ball back to the custodian. But Columbia spurned a glorious opportunity while Denmark were at sixes and sevens by taking the free-kick far too quickly, thus losing the opportunity. How they were nearly made to pay for that error of judgement. Five minutes from time, a brilliant run by Harder saw her slalom through three challenges before laying the ball off to substitute Anne Thirup Rudmose. Salazar's timely block of her shot was matched five minutes later by Natalia Ariza, whose demonic defending in stoppage time saved the Columbians on three separate occasions. Before she executed her first challenge, Gissel had to deal with a thirty-yarder from Salazar, before looking on with relief after Rincon, who had stolen the ball half-way inside Denmark's half, worked a one-two with Tatiana Ariza before powering into the penalty area. The Columbian captain's coolly taken shot slid by Gissel, but inches past the far post as well. Back came Denmark, only to run into a one-woman defensive dynamo. Natalia Ariza slid in to deny Rudmose initially, after she had been played in by Veje, while the defender followed this up by clearing a Harder effort off the line. And after Forero had foiled Rudmose at her feet after she and Gaitan had gone stride for stride in pursuit of possession, Natalia Ariza saved her very best for the very last attack of the game - a desperate lunge which foiled Veje after twin sister Tatiana had put Columbia in all sorts of problems with an atrocious touch. The danger wasn't over, however, for racing in to pick up the pieces and perhaps snatch a dramatic Danish winner was Harder. A delicate lob arced over the stranded figure of Forero but onto the roof of the net, much to Columbia's relief. The sound of the final whistle seconds later confirmed the 1-1 draw, a result which keeps Group A very much wide open, with all to play in Saturday's action. Canada take on Columbia in the 1pm affair at North Harbour Stadium, followed at 4pm by Denmark's duel with the Young Ferns - that should be an absolute humdinger! Denmark:     Gissel; Brix, Sigvardsen Jensen, Frausing Pedersen, Olsen; Boye (Lillelund Michaelsen, 59), Junge, Hohol (Madsen, 79), Veje; Harder, Andreasen (Thirup Rudmose, 84) Columbia:     Forero; N. Ariza, Gaitan, Salazar, Mendez; T. Ariza (booked, 65), Rincon, Aponte (booked, 41), Sanchez; Santos (Montoya, 57), Vidal Referee:     Cha Sung Mi (Korea Republic)