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Late Goals Fire Brazil Past Gutsy Kiwis

by Jeremy Ruane

Three goals in the last seventeen minutes of their clash with New Zealand at the Wuhan Sports Centre Stadium fired Brazil to a flattering 5-0 victory over their gutsy Kiwi counterparts in the opening Group D encounter at the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup Finals on September 12.

33,500 piled in to watch the first of two matches at the venue - China edged Denmark 3-2 in the later encounter - and they saw a young New Zealand team give everything they had and then some against their much vaunted Brazilian opponents, who were largely restricted to long-range shots by a determined defensive effort.

They certainly fired enough shots in anger - some twenty-seven all told - but Brazil only really came into their own inside the last twenty minutes, when the far less experienced Football Ferns began to fall victim to fatigue, both physical and mental.

Until that point, John Herdman's charges had matched the Brazilians stride for stride, and only trailed on the scoreboard through two stunning long-range drives, the first of which came in the tenth minute, a twenty-five yarder from Daniela which materialised after she had wrong-footed a lunging Katie Hoyle challenge.

Most present were expecting that goal to open the floodgates, but this Kiwi team is made of sterner stuff. Indeed, they could have been in front themselves inside ninety seconds, Maia Jackman's header from a Ria Percival free-kick being grabbed by Andreia.

Soon after the South Americans had had a goal disallowed for a foul by Daniela, Brazil's `keeper was called into action again in the fifth minute, as Percival powered down the right and whipped in an inviting cross which Emma Humphries looked to take full advantage of. Andreia was forced to tip the ball over the bar at close quarters.

Jenny Bindon then foiled a twenty-yarder from Cristiane in the ninth minute, after the striker had produced some dazzling close control to dribble through three challenges on the left.

The opening goal followed, but not the anticipated avalanche of Brazilian goals against opponents who have been written off by the host nation's media as here solely to make up the numbers.

Instead, it was solid defending denying Brazil attacks whenever possible. Admittedly, the Football Ferns dodged a few bullets along the way, such as in the twentieth minute, when Jackman tackled Marta from behind in the penalty area. Referee Pannipar Kamnueng, from Thailand, waved away South American protests.

The resulting corner, taken by Formiga, was played short to Maycon, who fired in a gorgeous cross which Cristiane headed inches over the bar.

The striker, who was later named Player of the Match by FIFA's Technical Committee, then forced Abby Erceg into playing a back-pass to Bindon. Once again, fortune shone on the Football Ferns, referee Kamnueng choosing to ignore the incident.

Brazil were great value, as was to be expected. Before the half-hour mark, Simone - a shot on the turn, Marta - a glancing header from a Daniela free-kick, and Cristiane - another twenty-five yarder - all went close, with only the last-mentioned giving Bindon reason to get her gloves dirty.

Cue a rarity in the 31st minute - a New Zealand raid. This one resulted in a corner, which Percival delivered onto the head of the tournament's oldest player, Wendi Henderson. Her looping header arced wide of the far post.

Five minutes later, Emily McColl swooped on a loose ball and evaded a couple of challenges before slipping a pass inside for Ali Riley. Her cross picked out Humphries, whose shot ricocheted to safety off a Brazilian defender. On this occasion, referee Kamnueng got it wrong - a corner should have been awarded.

Back came Brazil, with Renata Costa directing a header narrowly over the bar and Daniela seeing Erceg deflect her effort to safety before half-time.

Before the whistle blew, however, a stray Brazilian pass was pounced on by Hayley Moorwood, whose first time lob into the goalmouth found Percival racing forward in anticipation of her Lynn-Avon United team-mate's instinctiveness. Only the bounce of the ball denied the Football Ferns parity at the interval, Andreia greedily plucking the sphere off Percival's head.

It was evident from the reaction of New Zealand's entire squad - players and coaching staff - that they were well pleased with the half-time situation, knowing that they were well in the contest, despite Brazil's superiority in the shots at goal stakes.

And try as they might, the South Americans struggled to penetrate early in the second spell, with Jackman thwarting Marta after the reigning FIFA Women's Player of the Year had got goal-side of Erceg in the 49th minute.

The young central defender denied Marta four minutes later, with Daniela's resulting corner being headed narrowly over the crossbar by Formiga.

Brazil being Brazil, however, something spectacular is never far away, and in the 54th minute, the Football Ferns were dealt a cruel blow by Cristiane. Jackman just failed to divert a Maycon ball through, and the striker, lurking behind the defender, swivelled, surged and smashed a stunning shot from the edge of the penalty area into the top far corner of the net - 2-0.

The South Americans sensed their young opponents were there for the taking, and went for broke, producing a lovely move on the hour mark which featured Ester, Simone, Marta, Cristiane and a great dummy by Formiga. This rewarded Maycon's rapier-like run from deep, and her shot on the run sizzled narrowly over the bar.

Three minutes later, Marta rattled the crossbar with a twenty-yarder, before Daniela shot straight at

Bindon from eight yards after Cristiane and Maycon had linked on the left once more.

That New Zealand were tiring was evidenced in the 73rd minute, when Erceg, who would usually tidy up such a situation with her eyes closed , allowed a Brazilian clearance to go past her - not a wise move when Marta is in the general vicinity.

The striker swept down the left before crossing for Cristiane. Jackman stepped in to thwart her, but Ester gathered her clearance. Cristiane then took over possession of the ball, and threaded a pass in behind Erceg for Marta, who swept the ball low beyond Bindon and into the bottom far corner of the net.

The Football Ferns were running on empty - it was evident in their faces that they had nothing left to give. But they kept going. In the 83rd minute, Cristiane got in behind the defence again, only to see Jackman thwart her cross.

Two minutes later, the Brazilians had reason to celebrate, as McColl dived in to tackle Renata Costa. The defensive midfielder slipped away from the challenge, and found herself in space aplenty some thirty-five yards from goal. Only one thing to do, and how - an absolute screamer sailed past the flailing figure of Bindon into the corner of the net to make it 4-0.

Aside from the rapturous applause they received following the final whistle, the biggest cheer of the night for New Zealand came in stoppage time, when Moorwood decided it was time to take the Brazilians on at their own game, and promptly forced her way through three challenges before Aline, Brazil's captain, thwarted her progress with a block tackle which left the Kiwi stricken with cramp.

The usual courtesy was employed by Brazil to allow her treatment, but that didn't apply once New Zealand had thrown the ball back to them. Simone sent Marta scampering down the right into the penalty area, where she flicked the ball past Percival, swerved round Rebecca Smith and buried a fifteen-yarder in the bottom corner of the net - 5-0.

It was a cruel blow to a team which had left blood and sweat aplenty on the park, a mix soon to be mingled with tears as the final whistle blew. Be it in defence, midfield or attack, they had given their all and then some, but the experience and devastating finishing prowess of Brazil had proved too much for the Football Ferns in the end.

“All our goals were magnificent today”, declared Brazilian coach, Jorge Barcellos, afterwards. “Marta was kept under tight pressure by the New Zealand defence in the first half, but was more aggressive in the second spell, as she and her team-mates fulfilled our half-time request”.

The face of John Herdman, the Football Ferns coach, reflected the despair of his charges. “It was quite heart-breaking for the players, who gave everything they could today. We lived with and matched Brazil for long periods, but the late goals blew the scoreline out, and didn't reflect the game.

“New Zealand has to draw on every bit of X factor we can, given this is only our second World Cup in sixteen years. They play with lots of pride and spirit, and have great support from the backroom staff.

“We took to the field today with four teenagers in the starting line-up, and at half-time, we thought it was going to be the U-20s all over again” (a reference to New Zealand's scoreless draw with Brazil at the 2006 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Finals).

“The second goal was a real sucker punch to us, because we had a genuine belief, as we took the field at the start of the second spell, that we were well in this match, and that we could keep having a go at Brazil in the second half. We had to work a lot harder than our opponents throughout the game, however, and ultimately fatigue set in.

“We're aspiring to develop some players who can score world class goals like those we saw today. We did a lot of good things today, and got into positions to take those sorts of shots, but at present we don't have the belief or the technical ability to take those shots from up to thirty yards away”.

Football Ferns captain, Rebecca Smith, was upbeat despite the disappointment of defeat. “We were expecting them to be a very good team - they are, but I think the pressure that we put on and the attitude with which we took to the field was so high and such good intensity, and we were very proud of ourselves.

“At half-time, we still knew that the game wasn't over, and while we were fairly satisfied with our first half efforts, we knew that we could improve in the second half, and we still had to fight for 45 minutes.

“This team's development has been lightning-fast, and to see what this team has done in six months - we've only been together since March - is incredible, unbelievable. Our shape, our organisation, is better now than it ever has been, and I still think we've got huge potential with this team to grow.

“I'm really proud of the step we took in our development tonight. We didn't leave anything out there tonight - blood, sweat and tears apart - so this game represents a huge step for us. It's the best by far that we've played”.

New Zealand's next match takes place on Saturday evening in Wuhan, with Denmark our next opponents. The match will be televised live on Sky Sports 3 from 8.45pm.

Football Ferns: Bindon; Percival (booked, 25), Erceg, Jackman, Smith, Riley; McColl, Moorwood, Hoyle (Duncan, 65), Humphries (Thompson, 72); Henderson (Tegg, 46)

Brazil: Andreia; Ester, Aline, Tania; Simone, Daniela, Renata Costa, Maycon (Rosana, 77); Formiga, Marta, Cristine (Pretinha, 84)

Referee: Pannipar Kamnueng (Thailand)

2007 FIFA Women's World Cup Finals