Having opened the tournament on Monday by ending a six-match losing run at the U-17 showcase with a 1-1 draw with Paraguay, the Young Football Ferns met a Spain side looking to rebound quickly from a 2-0 defeat to Japan in their opening match.
Jorge Vilda’s team were quickly in the ascendency at the Ricardo Saprissa Ayma Stadium in Tibas as Sandra Hernandez finished off a slick passing move at the back post in just the third minute.
The European side dominated possession during the remainder of the half and duly doubled their lead just after the half hour mark when Pilar Garrote clipped the ball over goalkeeper Emma Fulbrook and in off the post from outside the penalty area.
Spain went up a gear in the second spell as the European team took a stranglehold on possession, repeatedly calling Fulbrook into action, eventually adding a third in the 67th minute as Nahikari Garcia fired in after some slick approach play.
The New Zealand side were almost rewarded for their hard work in the last five minutes when Paige Satchell earned a penalty but Isabella Coombes fired the spot kick against the post.
Sitting bottom of Group C, the Young Football Ferns need a win in their final pool match against Japan on Monday (midday NZ time) to have any chance of progressing to the next phase of the tournament.
Meanwhile, the Young Football Ferns were not only New Zealand representatives in action at the tournament on Thursday, referee Anna-Marie Keighley took charge of the Group D match between China and Mexcio won 4-0 by the Central American side.
New Zealand 0
Spain 3 (Sandra Hernandez 3’, Pilar Garrote 34’, Nahikari Garcia 67)
Halftime: 0-2
New Zealand: 1. Emma Fulbrook (GK), 3. Hope Gilchrist, 4. Elizabeth Anton, 6. Isabella Coombes, 8. Daisy Cleverley, 9. Martine Puketapu (capt), 10. Jade Parris (17. Ashley Arquette 85’), 12. Sophie Stewart-Hobbs (2. Geena Gross 46’), 13. Paige Satchell, 16. Sarah Morton, 18. Isabella Richards (15. Whitney Hepburn 70’)
Substitutes not used: 5. Hanna English, 7. Bella Kingi, 11. Emily Oosterhof, 14. Karin Ingram, 19. Tayla Christensen, 20. Emily Hanrahan (GK), 21. Abigail Roper (GK)

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