South Africa’s women came up short in a tense penalty shootout at the Junior World Cup which means they will now turn their attention to the 13-16 playoff bracket.
South Africa faced Uruguay with a golden opportunity to secure a place in the top 12 and improve on their 13th place finish from two years ago. It was a tense and gripping contest that ended 1-1 all in regulation time before Uruguay edged the shootout.
The early chance of the match fell to Teshawn de la Rey who broke through the defensive line but could not convert. From that moment it became clear that this was going to be a cagey and evenly matched battle. Genuine opportunities were scarce and it often felt like the first goal would decide everything.
There were no goals at the end of the first, second or third quarters although the South Africans were growing in belief. Uruguay however matched that confidence with their own determination and it set the stage for a tense final quarter.
It was the African champions who finally broke the deadlock. Paris Gail Isaacs produced a nice threaded pass for Jodie Blows who finished with a neat deflection. South Africa were closing in on a famous win but with time slipping away they conceded a late penalty corner.
The defence got a touch on the strike but the ball popped across perfectly for Curcio who pounced to equalise and send the match to a shootout.
The shootout itself was a rollercoaster. Richele Norval set the tone with a save on the first attempt but Ane Janse van Vuuren saw her effort denied. Taheera Augousti kept South Africa level in the second round before both teams missed their third attempts. The pivotal moment arrived in round four when Teshawn de la Rey slipped mid attempt and Uruguay capitalised by scoring their effort. Rodriguez then stepped up and calmly slotted the winner to send Uruguay into the top 12.