Soccer: Football Ferns target top points after loss

New Zealand have emerged from their toughest pool match at the soccer women's World Cup in Germany with their confidence intact despite a 1-2 loss to Japan today, coach John Herdman said.

The teams were level at halftime after Amber Hearn's 12th minute header cancelled out Yuki Nagasato's sixth minute opener,

But Japanese super sub Mana Iwabuchi won a freekick on the edge of the area, which Aya Miyama duly converted in the 68th minute.

Herdman said his team would fight on: "We'll wash that one away in the shower and have a good cry tonight and wake up tomorrow ready to roll."

Canada-based striker Hearn's bullet header came courtesy of Ottowa Fury teammate Ria Percival's pin-point cross, and left coach Herdman a happy man.

"It was pretty cool - it got us back into the game. I didn't expect it so soon after the (first) goal," he said.

"Amber Hearn is off the mark and hopefully she can be a threat in the coming games."

Hearn's personal satisfaction at scoring was tempered with disappointment at the loss, but she said afterwards the Football Ferns were still targeting their next two pool matches with confidence.

``Six points is what we're after in the next two games (against England and Mexio) and that's what we're going to aim for,'' she said.

New Zealand are bottom of Group B after Mexico and England drew 1-1 in Wolfsburg today. Their next match is against England in Dresden early on Saturday morning (NZT).

New Zealand captain Rebecca Smith said the result showed her team could be competitive against the world's best.

``Today we proved we can play with one of the best teams in the world,'' she said.

``Japan was definitely quality, that's what we expected and that's what they brought today. But we showed that we can hang with a team like that and even have chances to win games like this.''

Iwabuchi's substitution proved a real turning point for Japan, Herdman said.

``It looked as if the momentum had swung our way for 10-15 minutes but then there was that run by Iwabuchi and that goal.''

Despite Japan's advantage in possession, New Zealand had looked capable of claiming their first ever women's World Cup point with a dogged performance.

But Iwabuchi's mazy dribbling swung the game firmly Japan's way. The striker's run was stopped on the edge of the box by a foul from Smith, with Miyama curling in the resulting freekick.

``A point would have been a major achievement for New Zealand on the world stage but it wasn't to be,'' Herdman said.

``But I'm proud of the girls today they showed typical Kiwi spirit and never gave up.''