AUCKLAND – A two-minute burst of quicksilver Korean counter-attacking snatched a 2-1 win from under the noses of the Football Ferns in their Peace Queen Cup opener in Suwon on Saturday night (NZT).
New Zealand led 1-0 at halftime thanks to Kirsty Yallop’s 13th minute goal but Kwon Hah-Nul and Park Hee-Young put the finishing touches on two blistering counter-attacks in the 68th and 70th minutes respectively to prevent the Football Ferns notching their first win on Asian soil in 21 years.
Despite limited preparation due to a late invitation to the eight team tournament, New Zealand dominated the first half at the Suwon World Cup Stadium and much of the second.
Yallop and captain Hayley Moorwood were commanding in midfield while fit-again Sweden-based defender Rebecca Smith quickly struck up an effective partnership with her centre-back partner Abby Erceg.
Story courtesy of NZF Media
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