Women's World Cup 2007: Brazil 5-0 New Zealand: Kiwis overwhelmed

	New Zealand 0 - 5 Brazil 11' 0 - 1 Daniela 54' 0 - 2 Christiane 57' 0 - 3 da Silva Marta 86' 0 - 4 Renata Costa 90' 0 - 5 da Silva Marta
0		5

Marta scored two goals in the second half to lead Brazil to a 5-0 win past a gritty New Zealand squad Wednesday in the opening match of Group D.

The game between group favorites Brazil and overwhelming underdogs New Zealand was lopsided, with Brazil firing 26 shots to New Zealand's two. Daniela, Cristiane and Renata Costa also scored for the South Americans.

The Kiwi roster featured six teenagers, including four in the starting lineup. But the team managed to disrupt the Brazilians' flow for most of the game with physical play and shut down repeated scoring opportunities.


With FIFA player of the year Marta marked most of the game by at least one New Zealand player, Brazil's offensive duties fell to Daniela and Cristiane.

Daniela scored on a run from about 27 yards, sending a high shot past the fingertips of leaping goalkeeper Jenny Bindon in the 10th minute. Cristiane added another in the 54th, coolly firing a left-footed shot past three hapless defenders. Renata Costa sailed in a volley from 38 yards out in the 86th.

New Zealand began to tire toward the end, allowing Marta to score in the 73rd minute. She was alone and angled a low shot from the corner of the six-yard box into the back corner of the net. She added a left-footed goal in second-half injury time.

Brazil players drew roars from the crowd of 33,500 for their trademark footwork and no-look passes. Their short, quick passes looked a lot like the keep-away drills during their training sessions this week at the Wuhan Sports Center Stadium complex.

The ball rarely left New Zealand's half of the field. When the Kiwis were able to push the ball forward, their players were usually too far back in the defense to create any kind of scoring threat.

But 17-year-old Ria Percival was impressive in her World Cup debut, doggedly marking opponents on defense and carrying the ball up the side in the Kiwis' rare offensive spurts.

Source: Soccernet.com