JUNIOR FERNS WHITE HOT IN CHILE

AUCKLAND – New Zealand finished their Four Nations U-20 World Cup warm-up tournament on a high with a 3-0 win over Mexico in Melipilla, Chile on Sunday (NZT).

A goal from the golden-boot of fifteen-year-old Rosie White two minutes before halftime set the Junior Football Ferns on their way, while Grace Vincent and captain-on-the-day Ria Percival netted in the 47th and 71st minutes respectively as New Zealand recorded the biggest winning margin of the four-team tournament to finish in third place on four points.

Canada beat Chile 1-0 in the day’s other match to finish on seven points and snatch the Four Nations title from the hosts by a solitary point.

White – who also scored in a 1-1 draw with Canada on Friday – finished as the tournament’s top scorer with two goals.

All four teams were using the tournament as preparation for November’s FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, with New Zealand drawn to face hosts Chile, European powerhouses England, and African Champions Nigeria in group A.

While the win was the first for New Zealand in a U-20 women’s international outside Oceania, coach John Herdman said his delight stemmed from his side’s ability to come together quickly and earn two results against fellow World Cup finalists.

“They just took off from where they were in the Canada game. They just played really solidly, with a lot of possession and a lot of opportunities,” Herdman said.

“The beauty of this tour is that we’ve been able to achieve two aims. Firstly we’ve been able to build a team, on and off the field, who hadn’t been together previously and secondly we’ve been able, while still experimenting, to get four points.

“We were treating it as if we were qualifying from a world Cup group, and we set ourselves the goal today of winning by two clear goals to finish second if Canada lost. The most pleasing thing was that the players set out to achieve a goal, and did it with style."

Ultimately four points was not enough to finish in the top two and Herdman says an opening 1-2 loss to Chile gave the side’s its biggest lesson.

“You have to get a result in your opening game of a World Cup, because then your destiny’s in your own hands.”

Herdman will name his final squad for the November 19 – December 7 tournament in October with the attention for many squad hopefuls now switching to the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in New Zealand beginning October 28.

Nine of the 18-strong Junior Football Ferns squad for the Four Nations tournament are also eligible for the Young Football Ferns (U-17) squad.

“The exciting thing for these players is that some of them have an U-17 World Cup to look forward to. It would be great to keep them together, and tidy up some things as a unit, but the U-17 World Cup in New Zealand is the priority, and those players will be using that as a focus.”

“Off the pitch they’ve gelled well and on the pitch they’re starting to gel but it’s going to be a disjointed build-up which is frustrating in some ways and exciting in others.”

Story and photographs courtesy of NZF Media

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4 Nations II Tournament (U-20 Women)

Sunday 21 September 2008 (NZT)

New Zealand 3 (Rosie White 43, Grace Vincent 47, Ria Percival 71) Mexico 0 (Halftime: 1-0)

Junior Football Ferns: Victoria Esson (GK/ Charlotte Wood 46), Caitlin Campbell, Abby Erceg, Bridget Armstrong (Briony Fisher 46), Elizabeth Milne, Ria Percival (Captain), Katie Hoyle (Grace Vincent 46), Betsy Hassett, Hannah Wall (Annalie Longo 63), Rosie White, Renee Leota (Sarah McLaughlin 34).

Substitutes not used: Anna Green, Merissa Smith.

Head Coach: John Herdman

Final Standings

Sunday 21.09.08