New Zealand has been eliminated from the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in the Dominican Republic following a 4-0 loss to Ecuador, which saw them exit at the group stage.

After a 1-1 draw in their previous match against the hosts, the team knew they needed a win in their final game to have any chance of qualifying for the quarter-finals.

Head coach Alana Gunn made two changes to her lineup, bringing in Wellington Phoenix’s Brooke Neary in goal and Hamilton Wanderers’ Natalie Young in defence.

The match began with Ecuador creating more chances, but New Zealand's defence held firm.

It wasn’t until just before halftime that Ecuador made the breakthrough, scoring two goals in quick succession: Domenica Arboleda found the net in the 41st minute, followed by Caprice Chiuchiolo in the 43rd minute, which changed the dynamics of the game.

A triple substitution at half-time saw Laura Bennett, Emily Humphrey, and Millee Loxton replace Hannah Saxon, Maddison Sawkins, and Mikaela Bangalan, as New Zealand sought to mount a comeback.

However, Ecuador extended their lead just four minutes into the second half, with Caprice Chiuchiolo scoring her second goal from long range.

New Zealand continued to push for a way back into the match, but Ecuador further solidified their lead with a goal from Dariana Moran with just over ten minutes remaining.

Gunn’s side will look to learn valuable lessons from this tournament as they prepare for the next edition in 2025, for which they have already qualified.

Article added: Wednesday 23 October 2024