What a great surprise it was to watch the New Zealand Women’s Soccer Team play here in Spain. And to witness the Ford Football Ferns bounce back to beat Venezuela in Spain!
Who would have expected any national team to be playing this far south and in Algeciras! We all had a great time and were able to chat with some of the players after the game and photo op!
The Ford Football Ferns secured a 2–1 victory over Venezuela in their second match in southern Spain, bouncing back from their opening defeat against the South Americans.
After feeling they hadn’t delivered the performance they wanted in the first game, the Ferns came out strongly at Estadio Nuevo Mirador in Algeciras. Early pressure earned the Ferns a penalty in the 12th minute, though Katie Kitching’s effort struck the post and rebounded away.
Venezuela took the lead in the 42nd minute. Ferns goalkeeper Vic Esson managed to get a glove to a long-range shot, but the rebound fell to former Wellington Phoenix forward Mariana Speckmaier, who calmly slotted the ball in from close range.
Despite the setback, the Ferns kept up the pressure, continuing to operate in their 3-5-2 formation. Their persistence paid off within five minutes when, starting from the centre-backs, the team worked their way through the Venezuelan defence. Kellie Brown then found Milly Clegg, who composedly finished to level the score just before half-time.
The second half saw both sides pushing for the winner, but it was the Ferns who ultimately prevailed. In the 72nd minute, Manaia Elliott skilfully powered past the Venezuelan left-back and delivered a precise pass to Jacqui Hand, who fired home the decisive goal.
The NZ Ford Football Ferns full 24-player squad was:
- Liz Anton (21 caps/0 goals) Kolbotn IL, Norway
- Kelli Brown (2/0) Perth Glory, Australia
- Claudia Bunge (33/0) Melbourne Victory, Australia
- Milly Clegg (13/1) Halifax Tides, Canada
- Manaia Elliott (1/0) Wellington Phoenix, New Zealand
- Victoria Esson (26/0) Rangers, Scotland
- Michaela Foster (24/1) Durham FC, England
- Ally Green (17/2) Calgary Wild, Canada
- Maya Hahn (2/1) FFC Turbine Potsdam, Germany
- Jacqui Hand (33/8) Sheffield United, England
- Betsy Hassett (157/15) Stjarnan FC, Iceland
- Deven Jackson (1/0) Newcastle Jets, Australia
- Grace Jale (34/8) Wellington Phoenix, New Zealand
- Claudia Jenkins (0/0) Adelaide United, Australia
- Katie Kitching (16/5) Sunderland AFC, England
- Annalie Longo (138/15) Wellington Phoenix, New Zealand
- Meikayla Moore (69/4) Calgary Wild, Canada
- Ruby Nathan (5/1) Canberra United, Australia
- Grace Neville (12/0) London City Lionesses, England
- Emma Pijnenburg (1/0) Feyenoord Rotterdam, Netherlands
- Alina Santos (0/0) University of Denver, USA
- Rebekah Stott (106/4) Melbourne City, Australia
- Kate Taylor (23/2) Dijon FCO, France
- Grace Wisnewski (3/0) Lexington SC, USA
Contact Kiwis in Spain
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