New Zealand have come agonisingly close to securing a hard-earned point in their FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup opener, only for Japan to snatch a 2-1 victory with a late penalty in Lodz, Poland.
The Junior Football Ferns showed resilience to fight their way back into the Group D contest, with substitute Lily Brazendale levelling in the 59th minute after meeting Pia Vlok’s driven ball across goal and finishing confidently from close range.
But with New Zealand under sustained pressure in the closing stages, goalkeeper Brooke Neary who…
