Laura Bennett's brilliant top corner finish was the pick of the goals in the Young Football Ferns' opening win against Cook Islands at the OFC U-16 Women's Championship 🇳🇿🇨🇰 pic.twitter.com/PLlG3rezRz
Tama’a Faletau who scored 5 goals for Tonga in their first game, with another in a 2-2 draw with New Caledonia. Great to see the Tongans doing so well. likely need a result in their last game verus hosts Tahiti to make the semis.
Not looking good for the Junior Ferns. Only 2-0 up at half time. The Fijian team are extremely physical and are just muscling our girls off the ball and dribbling straight up the middle of the field. It's ugly but very effective. They're very unlucky to not have goals yet, while our girls are not converting their chances. Considering our youth teams are definitely better in the first half, I can see Fiji getting the massive boilover.
Ramming liberal dribble down your throat since 2009 This forum needs less angst and more Kate Bush threads
Group A looking really close... but the final round ain't even simultaneous!
If New Caledonia beat Solomon Islands by less than four goals (but still win), Tonga and Tahiti later on could effectively play out an agreed draw of sorts to both go through. Shambles!
Edit - 25-0 with 7 mins to go. Beats previous record 18-0 achieved by same U16s/U17s in 2010 (verus Tonga).
Invoke the mercy rule. This shambles helps no one. Half of these Vanuatu girls will probably go home & just give up on football completely. You can imagine the ridicule they will get back home, especially from local males.
4 mins of added time! Vanuatu GK saves a late pen. Carnage finishes 27-0.
Solution - next U16 OFC tourney have a top Division A of 4 teams, and Divsion B of 4 teams. The 4 teams all play each other once in a Round Robin, before a straight final (WC qualifier), 3rd v 4th, 5th v 6th & 7th v 8th.
So 4 matches each team, not 5 like this tourney.
Top 3 teams at this tourney (NZ & likely Fiji plus Tahiti) automatically go into Division A next tourney. Some sort of playoff in 2 years pre next tourney to find the 4th team in Divison A. Bottom 4 teams are in Division B.
Not perfect, but reduces the chance of pointless games like today.
I'm sure FIFA has given OFC plenty of cash re developing the girl's/women's game. These things take time, but questions need to be asked.
I know is a new Solomons/OFC football academy in Honiara opened with the help of Japan. Is it taking girls or just boys. The scorelines at the recent OFC U19 girls tourney were nearly as bad. NZ the winners with GF 45 & GA 0, over 5 games so an average 9-0 scoreline.
I give Vanuatu credit, they didn't give away a penalty until the 90th minute or so, the temptation must have been great to just start hacking
Too good natured for that. They did a bit of dance post game, all smiles. Just happy to be there I guess, on a bit of an adventure. Likely first time out of Vanuatu for most of them etc etc.
But it was like they had never been coached at all. I only saw the last 30 mins, but they just had zero defensive shape or organisation.
It's not often I watch international football, even at age-group level, and think "I would have done better than that keeper", but... yeah, I would have, for at least 10 of those goals
The Vanuatu girls were just so easy to push off the ball. The polar opposite of Fiji who gave our girls a scare and will put up a good fight in the final.
Ramming liberal dribble down your throat since 2009 This forum needs less angst and more Kate Bush threads
HT, and still 0-0. I've only watched 15 mins, but NZ 80% of the ball. Apparently the Fiji keeper has made a few saves. They look dangerous on the break though. No walk in the park this one.
Fijian coach is interesting. A 34 yr old Singaporean Chinese lady, who previously was the head coach of Seychelles women's senior national team. She also coached their female U19s against NZ earlier this year in that OFC tourney. Progressive coaching choice by Fiji. Recruited by Rob Shearman??
Job done for us, and massive credit to Fiji. Like Birnie said - like finals should be! Fiji an example to other island nations and maybe worth inviting them for a series in the buildup to the World Cup.
Ela Jerez is that number 17, the same girl who scored the winner for Western Springs in the recent cup final...definately one to watch for the future (heck even the present the way the senior team is going!)Showtime Nixie
Birnie was 60 seconds away from the sack! Got to have a laugh really.."how finals should be" - mate 6/11 Fijians were toe poking the ball!!
our #17 was the difference in the second half she has real quality and was always looking to open up the game. With out her Birnie n co were stuffed.
A big get out of jail but off to another world cup! and thats all that matters..right
NZ were lucky. But Fiji had proper structure, and seemed well coached. They will be heartbroken. A minute away from the pen shootout lottery and a real chance of going to a World Cup. Wake up call for NZF. With Rob Shearman in charge, Fiji could be the big improver in age group OFC.
Katie Pugh finally breaks through a resilient Fijian defence to score the winner in the OFC U-16 Women’s Championship final 🏆 pic.twitter.com/jPqzWWrLHz
