HK blanks NMI, 8-0

A heavily rain-soaked pitch became the NMI U15 Women’s National Soccer Team’s kryptonite as they fell to Hong Kong, China, 0-8, on their third game of the EAFF Fifa Forward Programme EAFF U15 Women’s Championship 2024 in Dalian, China last Tuesday.

With their loss, the NMI is now at a 0-1-2, win-draw-loss record. They are set to face off against rival Guam on Friday for their fourth and last match of the tourney.

The rain almost eliminated the passing game as both teams struggled to traverse the pitch and maintain possession. But as the rain fell steadily, Tsz Yau Wan found the back of the net early in the third minute for a 1-0 advantage.

Just 10 minutes later, Wan found herself in NMI territory once again and the puddles on the pitch proved to be a hindrance for keeper Maya Jung. She fell short of saving the ball as the water brought her down when she tried to go for a block, which in turn favored Wan as she made an open push to the net and scored the second goal.

The NMI team was now down, 0-2, but that didn’t stop them from trying to get back into the game. Multiple pushes were made toward Hong Kong’s goal as the rain fell steadily throughout the match, but Hong Kong’s defenders—plus the puddles—proved too challenging.

In the 29th minute, Annabel Lucy Yue gave Hong Kong a 3-0 lead, immediately followed by another goal from Lei Ngai Moi to quickly make it 4-0 at the end of the first half.

The first half came and went as the second half welcomed clearer skies—but the pitch was still dotted with puddles. The NMI team tried to regroup, push for execution, and have a more stable ball security in the last half of the match. However, to open it up, Ching Lam Jaylynn Chong found an opening in the 44th minute to make it 5-0.

The young NMI team’s spirit didn’t dwindle though as they fought until the very end and made attacks toward Hong Kong’s goal as much as they could. They were just stopped by the keeper’s and defender’s defensive tactics which didn’t allow them a single goal.

Three more goals would score for Hong Kong—King Sum Hui in the 52nd, one more by Chong in the 65th, and the eighth goal by Lei Ngai Moi in the last minute of the match.

In their debut of the tourney last Friday, the NMI lost to Macau, 1-2, and ended in a scoreless, 0-0 draw against Mongolia last Saturday.