KEY POINTS:
The New Zealand women's soccer team have been thumped 0-6 by China their Four Nations tournament opener in Guangzhou.
Football Ferns coach John Herdman said the teams were closely matched in the first half, but when China scored their third goal 10 minutes after halftime the pace of the game got away from them.
"We were disappointed to be 0-2 down at halftime, but China just found another gear and we couldn't live with them when they upped the tempo," he said.
"We had chances, we had possession but we're just not ruthless enough in front of goal and our defending and goalkeeping at times wasn't great."
Herdman said there were some positives, including the performance of Betsy Hassett and captain Hayley Moorwood in central midfield, and the chance to blood four uncapped teenagers.
Winger Hannah Wall and fullback Liz Milne were given starts and had "steady" debuts while strikers Sarah McLaughlin and Rosie White got their first taste of a full international off the substitutes bench.
The tournament, which includes South Korea and Finland, is the first in a long buildup for the Football Ferns as they look towards the 2011 World Cup and 2012 Olympics.
"This tour is all about development, so we'll continue to experiment with players and combinations so that we can walk into preparation for the Cyprus Cup in March able to look at the tactical, physical, and psychological work needed for these players," Herdman said.
"We'll give some more of the younger players an opportunity to start against Korea because it's important they get to know the intensity at this level."
In another game yesterday, South Korea beat Finland 4-0.
- NZPA
