New Zealand's Young Ferns endured a welcome to the 2025 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup Finals they're unlikely to forget on October 19, as Japan treated Alana Gunn's charges to a first-hand footballing lesson at the Football Academy Mohammed VI in Sale, Morocco. The 3-0 scoreline flattered the Kiwis, who were subjected to 38 attempts at goal by Young Nadeshiko - effectively a shot every 150 seconds. If they'd been more accurate with their finishing, this could have been a right royal shellacking! The vast majority of their efforts were wayward, however, much to New Zealand's relief. It took just five minutes for the perennial quarter-finalists in this competition - Japan has never failed to reach the last eight - to flex their attacking muscles, with Nienke Lemmens - a late replacement for the injured Harriet Muller - dashing out to save at the feet of Noa Fukushima as she looked to exploit Nanami Taira's pass to the full. Japan quickly settled into their traditional possession-based style of play, leaving the Young Ferns to feed on scraps. On the quarter hour, however, Katie Pugh held the ball up well on receipt of Freya Des Fountain's throw-in, and when Pia Vlok appeared on the scene, the striker allowed her captain to take charge and unleash a low drive which Rena Yamauchi was required to smother to maintain parity on the scoreboard. That proved to be a rare threat from New Zealand, with the general pattern of play having the goal defended by Lemmens as its end product. The goalkeeper was right behind a long-range effort from Fukushima after Holly Robins directed a cross-field pass straight to the playmaker, while a 21st minute shot on the run from Konoha Nakamura narrowly missed the target. Two minutes later, Nakamura was on the charge again, this time spreading play wide to Mihiro Furukawa. The overlapping fullback's cross picked out Taira, who promptly fired two shots, both of which were blocked by the well-performed Taylah Byers. The Young Ferns weren't helping their cause by employing a short goal-kick routine which instantly invites pressure, and which only works when you boast sufficient players of high technical calibre to employ it. New Zealand has never been noted for this key attribute in its footballing make-up, but any number of coaches - Alana Gunn in this instance - persist with this ploy regardless, instead of playing to their team's strengths. It's almost as if they're under orders to employ this specific strategy when restarting play with a goal kick, even when it's glaringly obvious to all-comers that it's just not working. One had to feel for Robins, in particular, who found herself closed down far too quickly and frequently by Japan, although the fact she was too ponderous in possession in her own penalty area didn't help the situation one iota. On the half-hour, Japan produced the best move of the match thus far, but it was matched by Lemmens' superb save. Honoka Sunaga worked a one-two with Fukushima before linking with Shizuru Iida on the left. Her cross picked out Taira, whose header was destined to open the scoring until Lemmens plunged low to her right to keep the Young Ferns in the contest. Two minutes later, Japan attacked again, only to deliver a cross into the path of Mikaela Bangalan. Just as the midfield anchor was about to clear the danger, however, an untimely slip resulted in her losing her balance, and the ball struck her outstretched arm in the penalty area … It took the thick end of five minutes for Kenyan referee Josephine Wanjiru to come to a decision after repeated reviews of the incident on the

pitch-side monitor. When she did, however, it was Young Nadeshiko who were the happier team, and captain Yuna Aoki consolidated their joy by sending Lemmens the wrong way from the penalty spot to open the scoring. To say Bangalan was desperately unlucky is an understatement. But she and her team-mates took this setback in their stride, and within three minutes were threatening an equaliser, Grace Duncan starting but just failing to execute a raid which also featured Pugh and Vlok. Back came Japan, a Fukushima corner prompting a Mone Sato header which struck Lemmens and sparked an almighty scramble. The Young Ferns survived this incident, but more were to come. Lemmens denied Fukushima in stoppage time, with the resulting corner seeing Sunaga's cross flicked on by Sato. The ball struck the outstretched arm of Des Fountain, allowing the ball to be cleared to Fukushima. She let fly, only for Byers to block her shot, at which point referee Wanjiru stopped play and headed for the sideline monitor once again. Another lengthy stoppage ensued as the incident involving Des Fountain was studied. The resulting decision was the same - penalty to Japan - but this time, the outcome was different, because Aoki's penalty was saved by Lemmens, ensuring the teams were separated by just the one goal at the break. Japan came out of the dressing rooms all guns blazing, and piled on the pressure in the early stages of the second spell, with Fukushima and half-time substitute Ua Ono particularly prominent. Defensive blocks and clearances were ten-a-penny as the Young Ferns dodged, swayed and weaved like a boxer trying to avoid a barrage from Mike Tyson, with Lemmens called upon every so often to keep Japan at bay, such as in the 61st minute, when she splendidly pawed out Aoki's header following a Fukushima corner. The barrage continued, with substitute Yuna Takahashi's twenty yard drive narrowly clearing the crossbar twenty minutes from time. Soon after, Fukushima delivered a corner to the far post, where substitute Niko Shikida rose above allcomers to power a header goalwards, only for Byers to block the ball on the line. It rebounded to Takahashi, whose shot through a crowded goalmouth struck the far post. With all this pressure, a second goal for Japan simply had to come, and it finally materialised fifteen minutes from time. Sunaga spread play wide to Takahashi, who cut in off the left before letting fly. Lemmens produced another fine save, but could only parry the ball into the stride of Fukushima, following in like all good forwards should … 2-0. After Lemmens had denied Fukushima's bid to score via a long-range free-kick, Japan made it 3-0 with six minutes remaining. Once more, Takahashi was the catalyst, this time via a pass from Nakamura. The substitute scooted down the left before delivering a tantalising cross to the far post, where Shikida was arriving on cue to bundle the ball home. There was still time for Byers - a sound defensive display - to thwart Ono's progress as she muscled her way into the penalty area, but the Young Ferns were well beaten by Young Nadeshiko in the end, although one wonders how things might have played out had sheer bad luck not befallen Bangalan in that game-changing moment late in the first half … Japan:          Yamauchi; Matsuoka, Aoki, Sato (Koizumi, 67), Furukawa; M. Sato (Shikida, 46), Fukushima (I. Sato, 81), Sunaga, Iida (Takahashi, 67); Nakamura, Taira (Ono, 46) Young Ferns:     Lemmens; Des Fountain (Ririnui, 85), Byers, Robins, March (Vosper, 46); O'Neill (Young, 46), Bangalan, Vlok; Vujnovich (Bennett, 72), Pugh (Solomon, 68), Duncan Referee:     Josephine Wanjiru (Kenya)