After a scoreless first half at the Ricardo Saprissa Ayma Stadium in Tibas, Daisy Cleverley broke the deadlock with a fierce left-footed drive from just outside the Paraguay area after beating two players in the 69th minute.
But with just six minutes to go, Paraguay pulled level at 1-1 via Sheryl Barrios’ headed finish from a corner.
Having dropped all three matches at the previous two tournaments, held every two years, in Azerbaijan and Trinadad and Tobago, Monday’s draw earned New Zealand’s first point at the tournament since a 3-1 win over Columbia in Wellington in 2008 in the inaugural event.
Before Cleverley’s rocket, New Zealand’s best chance fell to Martine Puketapu as the skipper headed a corner against the Paraguay upright five minutes before halftime.
Goalkeeper Emma Fulbrook also made two key contributions, brilliantly denying Jessica Martinez 10 minutes into the second half and turning another goal bound effort around the post later in the period.
New Zealand’s next match of the tournament is against Spain on Thursday 20 March at midday (NZ time).
FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Costa Rica
Ricardo Saprissa Ayma Stadium, Tibas
Monday 17 March, 2014
New Zealand 1 (Daisy Cleverley 69’)
Paraguay 1 (Sheryl Barrios 84’)
Halftime: 0-0
New Zealand: 1. Emma Fulbrook (GK), 2. Geena Gross (12. Sophie Stewart-Hobbs 56’), 3. Hope Gilchrist, 4. Elizabeth Anton, 6. Isabella Coombes, 8. Daisy Cleverley, 9. Martine Puketapu (capt), 11. Emily Oosterhof (10. Jade Parris 46’), 12. Paige Satchell (19. Tayla Christensen 87’), 16. Sarah Morton, 18. Isabella Richards
Substitutes not used: 5. Hanna English, 7. Bella Kingi, 14. Karin Ingram, 15. Whitney Hepburn, 17. Ashley Arquette, 20. Emily Hanrahan (GK), 21. Abigail Roper (GK)
For more on New Zealand football go to www.nzfootball.co.nz

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