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At Waikato Stadium, Hamilton: Argentina 2 (Mariana Larroquette 17’, Aldana Cometti 90’) Football Ferns 0. HT: 1-0
Crowd: 3622
The Football Ferns have suffered another disappointing defeat on the road to the Women’s World Cup after their stand-in skipper was denied an emotional goal in her hometown by a marginal offside call.
New Zealand’s winless run at home extended to 12 games after Argentina pounced on an early defensive mistake and scored off a late corner to hand the higher ranked Football Ferns a 2-0 defeat at Waikato Stadium in Hamilton on Monday.
Jitka Klimková’s team were more competitive than they were in their embarrassing 5-0 defeat against Portugal at the same venue last Friday, creating a few great scoring chances and they even had a goal disallowed.
However, despite being ranked five places higher than the South American’s in Fifa’s World Rankings, they were unable to produce a much-needed bounce back win, let down by a couple of defensive lapses as their winless run at home stretched to 12 games.
Striker Mariana Larroquette gave Argentina an early lead somewhat against the run of play, after seizing on a mistake from experienced centre-back Katie Bowen in the 17th minute.
Bowen tried to shield the ball away from the striker but as she went to clear it, Larroquette tackled the ball out from underneath her and managed to poke it past goalkeeper Erin Nayler.
Aldana Cometti sealed the win in the 90th minute with a thumping header off a corner.
Klimková made five changes to her starting XI following their heavy defeat to Portugal, three of them forced with captain Ali Riley, CJ Bott and Claudia Bunge ruled out with minor injuries.
After trialling a back five against Portugal without success, she reverted to a 4-4-2 formation with left-sided midfielder Olivia Chance leading the team in her hometown in Riley’s absence.
Jeremy Ward
Argentina striker Mariana Larroquette and Football Ferns defender Katie Bowen fight for the ball.
Chance had the ball in the back of the net 10 minutes into the second half, but she was ruled offside by referee Lara Lee, a decision backed up by the video assistant referee, after straying what appeared to be millimetres ahead of the last defender as she connected to Grace Jale’s early cross.
The Football Ferns’ next best goal-scoring chance also fell to Chance, but her side-footed shot was blocked by the legs of goalkeeper Vanina Correa late in the first half.
Betsy Hassett squeezed out of a tight space and burst down the left wing. She crossed the ball to Hannah Wilkinson who laid the ball off for Chance, but she was unable to beat the goalkeeper from close range.
Continuing the hometown theme, Hamilton-born left-back Michaela Foster, the daughter of All Blacks coach Ian Foster, was handed her international debut midway through the second half at the same venue where her dad used to play rugby for Waikato.
The two teams meet again at North Harbour Stadium in Auckland on Thursday.
Watch coverage of the Football Ferns v Argentina and the Fifa Women’s World Cup Qualification Play-off Tournament live on Sky Sport or stream on Sky Sport Now.
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