Days before they first kicked a ball at an Olympic Games (in Beijing four years ago), the New Zealand women's soccer team drew 1-1 with Canada in Singapore. Anyone lucky enough to see that game could only be impressed - not only with the result. It was, in many ways, the first real indication that the women's game in New Zealand had finally arrived.
More than 30 years after a New Zealand team had first played internationally, the John Herdman-coached team showed they were ready to seriously challenge the more established nations.
Three years earlier the team reached their high of 20th on Fifa rankings but it was not until their first Olympic sojourn where they drew 2-2 with Japan and lost 1-0 to Norway before going down 4-0 to the eventual gold medallists USA that the real progress was underlined from a team who had long battled for any recognition.
Since that 2008 game in Singapore, the Football Ferns have played 46 A internationals for 16 wins, 10 draws and 20 losses (10 by just the odd goal). This week's wins over China were also significant, coming after 12 straight losses since they first met in 1991. The Chinese, ranked five places higher than New Zealand at 18, have been as high as fifth on the Fifa list.
Coach Tony Readings can take real heart from the 3-1 and 1-0 wins and again not just from the results.
