Wilkinson red card adds to misery as Football Ferns are outplayed 3-0 by Chile

A Football Ferns side reduced to 10 players came off second best as Chile won the first of two internationals 3-0 in Santiago.

The New Zealand team played the last third of the match a player short after World Cup star Hannah Wilkinson was given a straight red for making contact with an assistant referee, as she vented her frustration over a decision.

Main photo: Hannah Wilkinson is ordered from the pitch.

The dismissal came with New Zealand already trailing 3-0 and looking a shadow of the team that won the nation’s support at the FIFA Women’s World Cup.

READ MORE: Coach Jitka Klimková on red card: Wilkinson’s reaction ‘not acceptable’ >>>>

Poor ball security created turnovers of possession that Chile exploited with fast counter attacks and deadly finishing.

For the match, head coach Jitka Klimková named a starting line-up based around her strongest performers from the FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Exceptions were defender Claudia Bunge, forward Jacqui Hand and midfielder Liv Chance who were sidelined as a precaution.

Both sides began with high-tempo football the artificial turf of Estadio Bicentenario de La Florida, harassing opponents for possession and looking to break quickly.

New Zealand created the first real chance of the game in the fifth minute when Indiah-Paige Riley broke through the middle and fed the ball into the path of forward Gabi Rennie inside the Chile penalty area.

Rennie’s shot ballooned high over the crossbar.

Chile’s first shot on target came in the 22nd minute when Fern’s goalkeeper Vic Esson dived low to turn a shot around the post.

Chile took the lead in the 27th minute when they took advantage of New Zealand’s over-use of side passes in their own third of the pitch, and Yessenia Lopez stole the ball from Ferns midfielder Malia Steinmetz.

Her fierce shot was tipped onto the bar by Esson but the rebound was met by Daniela Zamora who scored from close.

The goal fired up the home side who started to control possession.

In the 31st minute, a well-constructed passing sequence took them from their own half and created a chance for Yenny Acuna to hold off marker Rebekah Stott, and hammer her half-volley into the net.

The Ferns seemed shell-shocked, to be two goals down and struggling to find ways to penetrate the Chile half.

Their next opportunity came from a free kick 30 metres out, driven hard and low by defender Katie Bowen and forcing the game’s first save from Chile skipper and goalkeeper Christiane Endler.

Chile responded with a breakaway that led to a wild shot wide of the post.

Then, the Ferns forced a second Endler save when Rennie turned a Paige Satchell cross into a well-struck shot.

New Zealand made two half-time changes, bringing strikers Grace Jale and Milly Clegg into the game, replacing Satchell and Rennie.

Two minutes into the second half, Chile went three goals ahead with a goal similar to their first.

A shot from the edge of the area rebounded off the crossbar and Lopez was first to react, belting it into the roof of the net.

Clegg quickly showed her ability, robbing a defender and shooting left-footed from an acute angle to force a save from Endler in the 52nd minute.

New Zealand’s chances of getting back into the contest were wrecked in the 55th minute when striker Hannah Wilkinson remonstrated with an assistant referee and was judged to have made contact. She was given a straight red card.

Oddly, Chile seemed unsure of how to take advantage of having the extra players.

They were lulled into holding possession without pushing forward, as New Zealand re-organised their formation with 10 players.

Chile created their next clear chance in the 73rd minute when Esson and a post combined to prevent the hosts from scoring at a corner.

Again, Klimková went to her bench, introducing Michaela Foster and Annalie Longo in the 76th minute.

They immediately added some energy, with Longo dribbling to the byline and crossing to the near post for Clegg to almost get a header but for the efforts of Endler.

In the 83rd minute, Chile bombarded the New Zealand goalmouth from a corner, before Bowen cleared a fierce shot off the line.

After five minutes of stoppage time, the referee ended the discomfort for a misfiring Ferns team.

Coach Klimková called her players and staff into a circle and the debrief began.

The Ferns have three days to regroup before they face Chlle again in a behind-closed-doors match.

The match in Santiago takes place at 3am on Wednesday (NZT).

Match stats

Watch the match

The game was live-streamed by FIFA+ with match commentary by Andrew Dewhurst and Maia Jackman.

Result

Game played on Sunday September 24, 2023

Chile 3 (Daniela Zamora 27′, Yenny Acuña 31′, Yessenia López 47′)
New Zealand 0

Line-ups

Chile

Christiane Endler (captain), Michelle Olivares (Rosario Balmaceda 89′), Su Helen Galaz, Yastin Jimenez (Anais Alvarez 82′), Yenny Acuna (Franchesca Caniguán 75′), Karen Araya, Yessenia Lopez (Javiera Grez 75′), Yanara Aedo (Claudia Herrera 89′), Daniela Zamora (Sonya Keefe 82′), Fernanda Pinilla, Camila Sáez.

Subs not used: Antonia Canales (GK), Gabriela Bárquez (GK), Monserrat Hernández, Isidora Olave, Catalina Fiqueroa.

New Zealand

Vic Esson, CJ Bott, Katie Bowen, Ali Riley (captain) (Michaela Foster 76′), Rebekah Stott (Kate Taylor 65′), Betsy Hassett, Indiah-Paige Riley (Grace Neville 85′), Malia Steinmetz (Annalie Longo 76′), Gabi Rennie (Milly Clegg 46′), Paige Satchell (Grace Jale 46′), Hannah Wilkinson.

Subs not used: Brianna Edwards (GK), Anna Leat (GK), Ally Green, Grace Wisnewski.

Fixture

Game to be played on Wednesday September 27, 2023 (NZT)

Chile v New Zealand
Quilin Complex, Santiago, Chile (3am, NZT)
•Game behind closed doors

More football stories