The experience and lessons learned from the Young Ferns 4-0 loss to Germany in the opening game of the Future Stars tournament will prove invaluable come World Cup time according
to Head Coach Paul Temple.

The Young Ferns (New Zealand Women’s U17 team) were outclassed today by an exciting German side who impressed and entertained the 300-strong crowd at North Harbour Stadiums outer
oval with a performance which reinforced their world class pedigree.

USA earlier trounced Australia 6-0 to kick-start the five-day precursor to the October 28-November 16 World Cup.

Germany and USA’s opening-day dominance was unsurprising given that the two have won eight of the 11 FIFA World Cup and Olympic Games titles between them.
 

New Zealand fell behind in the twenty seventh minute when Yasmin Pietsch finished off a slick counter attack for Germany with a powerful 20 yard drive into the back of the
net.

New Zealand were able to absorb a lot of the German attacks with captain Briony Fisher and Bridgette Armstrong forming a formidable centre back pairing who snuffed out any aerial
threat from the Germans.

But it was the quick interplay in the German attack which was causing the Young Ferns problems on the deck and in the 35th minute New Zealand’s defence was breached again this
time by Svenja Huth.

Annalie Longo looked the most comfortable of the New Zealand players on the ball and her tidy footwork led to an impressive 30 yard shot which goalkeeper Lisa Schmitz did well to
turn around the post for a corner halfway through the first half.

But the most damage was being done up the right flank by talented winger Turid Knaak who helped set up a second for Huth just before halftime and added
one of her own in the 83rd minute to cap off a supurb performance when she expertly lobbed the NZ keeper from outside the box.

New Zealand competed physically with the Germans but found it difficult to deal with their speed going forward.

 

But the news wasn’t all bad for New Zealand who showed glimpses of potential throughout the match and created a number of good first half opportunities involving some intricate one two’s around
the box with Longo being at the route of most of the productive play.

Temple felt that the New Zealand side improved as the game went on, but struggled to deal with the Germans intensity.

“I’m a little bit disappointed,” Temple said. “We made a few mistakes in the first half and I think we gave them a few of the goals as opposed to making them earn them.”

“It’s been a great experience for the girls to be able to play the Germans because they’re one of the top nations in the world and just to be on the same pitch as them provides a
real big learning curve for us and the development for the future.”

Temple picked out defender Briony Fisher and forward Sarah McLaughlin as standouts for the young ferns and noted Leah Galley did very well when she came off the bench in the
second half.

Temple stressed that the exposure and experience of playing in this tournament will be very beneficial in preparation for the world cup.

“We need to play these teams because it exposes our weaknesses and allows us to work on these leading into the world cup. We need these games to truly find out what we need to
improve on.

“The girls were a little bit nervous and didn’t know what to expect so getting these games under our belt now will allow the girls to go into the world cup more focused and more
familiar with this level of football.”

The Young Ferns will meet the USA in their second game of the tournament on Thursday, January 31 at North Harbour Stadium.

Future Stars

Results from the first day of the U-17 women’s quadrangular tournament at North Harbour Stadium:

USA 6 (Samantha Mewis 32, 41, 67; Victoria DiMartino 40, Kristen Mewis 59, Courtney Verloo 79) Australia 0. Halftime: 3-0

USA: Taylor Vancil (GK), Victoria DiMartino (Courtney Verloo 69), Amber Brooks, Crystal Dunn (Alexis Harris 89), Cloee Colohan, Kristen Mewis (Olivia Klei 89), Tani Costa
(Kealia Ohai 73), Jenna Richmond (Erika Tymrak 83), Samantha Mewis, Julia Roberts, Zakiya Bywaters (Mary Wagner 65).

Substitutes not used: Kelsey Wys (GK)

Head coach: Kazbek Tambi

Cautions: Brooks

Australia: Casey Dumont, Sophie Hogben (Tara Andrews 87), Linda O’Neill, Samantha Kerr (Teigan Allen 81), Ella Mastrantonio, Marianna Tabain, Jenna Kingsley (Nicola Bolger 73),
Kyah Simon (Tameka Butt 41), Vedrana Popovic (Rachel Wynne 75), Emily van Egmond, Alesha Clifford.

Substitutes not used: Nicole Calder (GK), Ruth Wallace.

Head coach: Gary Philips.

New Zealand 0 Germany 4(Yasmin Pietsch 27, Svenja Huth 35, 45; Turid Knaak 83). Halftime: 0-3.

New Zealand: Charlotte Wood (GK), Rebecca Brown (Jodi Curtis 88), Briony Fisher (Captain), Bridgette Armstrong, Hannah Wall, Annalie Longo (Jessica Rollings
82), Rosie White, Claudia Crasborn (Anna Fullerton 46), Nadia Pearl (Leah Gallie 60), Lauren Mathis (Caitlin Campbell 60), Sarah McLaughlin (Gabrielle Kerdemelidis 78).

Substitutes not used: Elise Mamanu-Grey, Danielle McFadyen (GK), Lauren Murray, Yumi Nguyen.

Head coach: Paul Temple.

Cautions: White

Germany: Lisa Schmitz (GK), Claudia Bujna, Inka Wesely (Julia Debitzki 76), Valeria Kleiner, Carolin Simon (Laura Vetterlein 68), Marie-Louise Bagehorn, Svenja Huth, Tabea
Kemme, Alexandra Popp (Turid Knaak 21), Yasmin Pietsch (Lynn Mester 73), Isabelle Linden (Annika Doppler 68).

Substitutes not used: Almuth Schult (GK), Kristine Zumbült,

Coach: Ralf Peter.

Cautions: Pietsch, Kemme

Draw:

Thursday: Germany v Australia (3.30pm), New Zealand v USA (6pm).

Saturday: USA v Germany (3.30pm), New Zealand v Australia (6pm).