KEY POINTS:
Olympic heartbreak for the New Zealand women's soccer team was followed by a resolve to finish the job against heavyweight pool opponents Norway and the United States.
The Football Ferns "froze", in the words of coach John Herdman, and were over-run late by Japan in a 2-2 draw at Qinhuangdao.
It was, ultimately, a disappointing result in New Zealand's first event at the Games after leading 2-0 with just 18 minutes remaining.
They couldn't hold out in the steamy conditions against their fast-finishing rivals, who laid siege to the New Zealand goal and deserved to level the scores four minutes from time.
After targeting world No 10 Japan as their most winnable match, New Zealand will now probably need a win against world No 5 Norway at the same venue tomorrow or to topple the top-ranked United States in Shenyang on Tuesday to advance to the quarter-finals.
Herdman did not go easy on his young team after they had forged a winning position.
"I think the players froze in that last 20-odd minutes," he said.
"I don't know if that was the emotional tension. It was the first game of the Olympics and everything that goes with that. That might have got to them."
Herdman said the true quality of his team was only on show in the first 15 minutes when they dominated possession and territory with a mixture of hard work and some slick ball movement.
That evaporated although they led 1-0 at halftime courtesy of a 36th-minute goal to Kirsty Yallop.
That lead doubled soon after the break - again via a pinpoint Ali Riley cross - when the Japanese were penalised for pushing and Amber Hearn converted from the spot.
Herdman said it was a lucky ruling for his side so he was not surprised when they were penalised in a "square-up" ruling. Aya Miyawa kicked the penalty in the 72nd minute, following an innocuous foul by defender Abby Erceg.
The equaliser came courtesy of Homare Sawa when the New Zealand defence was slow to react to a free kick.
"The defending at the free kick wasn't great but that wasn't the key leading to the result in the end," Herdman said.
"It's our ability to be more confident and stronger when we're ahead.
"There's another 20-30 per cent in this team and if we can bring that into this competition, I think it's realistic we can pull a result off."
- NZPA
