FIFA Women’s World Cup: Football Ferns lose to Italy in behind-closed-doors friendly

At Keith Hay Park, Auckland: Italy 1 (Valentina Giacinti 23’) Football Ferns 0. HT: 1-0

The Football Ferns have suffered a 1-0 defeat to Italy in their final match before the FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Friday evening’s match was played behind closed doors at Keith Hay Park, the team’s Auckland training base, with Valentina Giacinti scoring for the visitors midway through the first half.

The narrow loss comes four days after the Ferns beat Vietnam 2-0 in their final public hit-out at McLean Park in Napier.

Nine of the starters from that match backed up on Friday, with centre back Rebekah Stott and right back CJ Bott said by NZ Football to have been rested.

Co-captain Ali Riley moved from left back to right back to cover Bott’s absence, with Michaela Foster starting on the left, while Claudia Bunge came in for Stott.

Katie Bowen completed the back four ahead of Vic Esson in goal, with Jacqui Hand, Betsy Hassett, Ria Percival, Indiah-Paige Riley, Malia Steinmetz and Hannah Wilkinson the others to back up.

Anna Leat replaced Esson at halftime, a move which seems to confirm she will be the deputy between the sticks during the World Cup.

Paige Satchell was given a run off the bench after missing out on Monday, while the other four substitutes were the four used alongside Bunge and Foster against Vietnam – Olivia Chance, Milly Clegg, Annalie Longo and Gabi Rennie.

Midfielder Chance played 45 minutes against Italy after getting through 23 against Vietnam – a promising sign as she manages her return from a knee injury she and coach Jitka Klimková have declined to detail the nature of.

Forward Grace Jale did not feature for the second match in a row, a curious turn of events after she played 90 minutes in each of the Ferns’ previous four matches and started in seven of their previous eight.

The Ferns’ previous match against Italy at the 2020 Algarve Cup ended in a 3-0 defeat.

Vietnam were beaten 9-0 in a behind-closed-doors match against Spain on Friday – a result that puts the Ferns’ win on Monday in perspective.

The Ferns begin their World Cup campaign next Thursday night against Norway at Eden Park in Auckland.

They are chasing a first World Cup win and a place in the knockout stages out of group A, which also features the Philippines and Switzerland.