Disappointing we played so poorly, though credit is due to Mexico who were much sharper in all areas. Just shows that maintaining a lot of possession as NZ did means nothing if you don't threaten the opposition net.
Thought Rosie White was very poor in all areas, passing and shots on goal, and should have been pulled at about the 60th minute - worth trying someone else if your "star" striker is doing so bad. I'm concerned she hasn't recovered successfully from her broken ankle earlier in the year which ruled her out of the qualifiers. Seems to lack the pace she used to have. Lack of fitness/ sharpness restricted her appearances in the Olympics.
We were probably a bit unrealistic in our expectations entering this one - Mexico have the better recent pedigree in u-20 women's football, making the quarter-finals last time in 2010, whereas we'd only won one game in three previous u-20 World Cups (scoring 12 and conceding 21 in nine games).Their senior women's team is not far behind the US and Canada now -or you could argue, ahead of the USA since the US were only third behind Mexico in the last CONCACAF Women's Championship in 2010 when Mexico finished runners-up to Canada , beating the US 2-1 in the semi-final (the tournament also served as qualifiers for the Women's World Cup in Germany - Mexico went through directly with Canada, whilst the US scraped through after a play-off against Italy).
I was worried when the commentator said early on that Mexico have 14 in their squad playing in the USA, meaning they are playing at a much better level than most of our girls - of our starters only two play overseas, in US college football. It's probably like their senior national team where most of the players are Mexican Americans.
We are seriously handicapped at this level because our domestic women's football is so weak - means our players have ability but it's not yet developed. And means they can't maintain a consistant high standard at this u-20 World Cup level...Guess you have to walk before you can run and we don't realistically deserve to make the last eight at women's world cups yet.
Mexico is a huge country with 22 women's professional teams in their national league.