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Auckland Women Conclude Tour With Wins Over Paraguay
By Jeremy Ruane
The Auckland Invitation Women's Soccer squad concluded their three-nation South American tour with two victories against the Paraguayan national women's team in Asuncion, to complete their demanding six-match schedule in some style.
Playing under lights in the 60,000-capacity Estadio de los Defensores del Chaco, Paraguay's national stadium, Auckland recorded a 2-1 victory over Paraguay on April 3, with SWANZ internationals Maia Jackman and Nicky Smith producing outstanding performances to bring about the April 3 triumph.
Tarah Cox and Simone Ferrara combined to engineer the opening goal for Smith in the 35th minute, and after the Paraguayans had equalised four minutes into the second half, half-time substitute Vicki Ormond smashed home a twenty-five yard drive nineteen minutes from time to record Auckland's third win of the tour.
Two days later, the teams clashed again, this time in mid-afternoon, with the temperature a stifling 36¡C and humidity to match. Despite the conditions, Auckland produced another dominating performance in recording a 1-0 victory to finish with four wins, a draw and a first-match defeat from their six game tour.
The Barbara Cox - coached combination could well have been 2-0 up at the interval in a torrid second encounter against the Paraguayans, Alisse Robertson seeing her header cleared off the line, while Nicky Smith fired over from close range.
Defensively, Auckland were solid, goalkeeper Michelle Hodge having to produce just one excellent save in a match which the visiting provincial representative side created a host of scoring opportunities. When Vicki Ormond hit the post late on after a fine solo effort, a stalemate appeared inevitable. But three minutes from time, an Auckland corner saw Tarah Cox knock the ball back to Simone Ferrara, who unleashed a twenty-yard screamer into the roof of the net to conclude Auckland's tour on a high note.
The squad was presented with a number of trophies to make the tour, including one of just forty commemorative medals produced to mark the Uruguay Football Association's centenary celebrations, an honour presented to the squad by FIFA President Sepp Blatter.
The Auckland squad departs Paraguay for Auckand today, via Buenos Aires. They are scheduled to arrive at Auckland International Airport on Saturday, April 8, at 0540 hours on Aerolineas Argentinas flight AR1181.
Line-up details:
Game 5 April 3, 2000
Asuncion Auckland 2-1 Paraguay
Hodge; Exler (Lothian), Hicks, Robertson, O'Hara; Barlow (Ormond), Cox, Sowden, Ferrara; Jackman, Smith
Goalscorers: N. Smith (35), V. Ormond (71) HT 1-0Game 6 April 5, 2000
Asuncion Auckland 1-0 Paraguay
Hodge; Corner, Robertson (Scott) (Lothian), Exler (Ormond), Hicks; Ferrara, Cox, Sowden, O'Hara (Keinzley); Jackman, Smith
Goalscorer: S. Ferrara (87) HT 0-0
Auckland Women All-Conquering In Uruguay
By Jeremy RuaneThe Auckland Invitation Women's Soccer squad have emerged from the second leg of their South American tour with two wins from their two encounters against the Uruguayan national women's team in Montevideo.
A 1-0 victory over the Uruguayans on March 31 was followed just over twenty-four hours later by a 2-1 victory over the same opposition, on this occasion in front of a sizable audience, many of whom had been invited to attend the Uruguayan Football Association's Centenary celebrations, of which this match was a part.
Among those in the audience watching Auckland's victory were the President of FIFA, Sepp Blatter, and England soccer legend, Sir Bobby Charlton.
Auckland dominated the first half of the first encounter, but failed to convert any of four chances from within the goal area, the best of these, a Nicky Smith header, being brilliantly saved by the Uruguayan goalkeeper.
Deservedly, Auckland opened the scoring in the 38th minute, Simone Ferrara converting from the penalty spot after being felled in the area. The home side came into the game in the second spell, going closest when Stacey O'Hara was forced to head off the line.
Auckland had further chances to enhance their advantage, but were well worth their 1-0 victory, a result the Barbara Cox - coached combination followed up in some style next evening.
Opening the game at a fast pace, Smith and Ferrara forced saves from the Uruguayan goalkeeper within minutes of the start, and it was the former who opened the scoring from broken play soon after. The SWANZ international smashed home a second goal ten minutes later, controlling an Anna Barlow cross neatly before unleashing a twenty-yard drive high into the net to extend Auckland's advantage to 2-0.
Against the run of play, Uruguay pulled a goal back two minutes before the break, but the home side proved incapable of arresting Auckland's dominance throughout the second half.
The squad is now in Paraguay for the final leg of the tour, before returning home on April 8.
Line-up details:
Game 3 March 31, 2000 Montevideo Auckland 1-0 Uruguay Hodge; Hicks, Corner, Exler (Lothian), O'Hara; Jackman (Scott), Cox, Smith (Barlow), Ferrara; Ormond (Sowden), Keinzley (Robertson) Goalscorer: S. Ferrara (38, pen) HT 1-0Game 4 April 1, 2000 Montevideo Auckland 2-1 Uruguay Hodge; Exler (Hicks), Corner, Robertson; Scott (Barlow (Ormond), Cox, Ferrara (Keinzley), Sowden, O'Hara (Lothian); Jackman, Smith Goalscorer: N. Smith (2 goals) HT 2-1
Auckland Women Defeat Uruguay 1-0
By Jeremy RuaneThe Auckland Invitation Women's Soccer squad recorded a 1-0 win over Uruguay in Montevideo on March 31.
Auckland dominated the first half, but failed to convert any of four chances from within the goal area, the best of these, a Nicky Smith header, being brilliantly saved by the Uruguayan goalkeeper. Deservedly, Auckland opened the scoring in the 38th minute, Simone Ferrara converting from the penalty spot after being felled in the area.
The home side came into the game in the second spell, going closest when Stacey O'Hara was forced to head off the line. Auckland had further chances to enhance their advantage, but were well worth their 1-0 victory, a result the Barbara Cox - coached combination will look to improve upon when taking on the same opposition again, this time as part of the Uruguay Football Association's centenary celebrations.
Line-up: Hodge; Hicks, Corner, Exler (Lothian), O'Hara; Jackman (Scott), Cox, Smith (Barlow), Ferrara; Ormond (Sowden), Keinzley (Robertson)
Auckland Do New Zealand Proud In Argentina
By Jeremy RuaneThe Auckland Invitation Women's Soccer Squad lost the first match of their South American tour on Sunday morning (NZ time), going down 2-1 to the full Argentinian national side.
Displaying typical Kiwi tenacity, the Auckland side produced a tremendous defensive effort, despite the combined effects of jet-lag and the searing heat, which saw the team play virtually to a stand-still.
The pacy Argentinians scored the winner with twenty minutes to go, after the scores had been locked up 1-1 at half-time, SWANZ international Nicky Smith the Auckland Invitation Squad's goalscorer in the 38th minute.
The outstanding performers for Auckland were Jill Corner, Tarah Cox, Claudia Hicks, Simone Ferrara, Smith and goalkeeper Michelle Hodge.