Newcomers gain experience and respect in Women's World Cup

Three of the eight newcomers have finished their first games at the Women's World Cup on Sunday. Different results, yet the same value. They have all gained experience and respect in the country of maple leaves.

The Netherlands put up an excellent show against New Zealand. At the 33rd minute, 22-year-old Lieke Martens hit the winner with a long drive from outside the penalty area.

The other two debutantes failed to taste victory, with Thailand beaten 4-0 by Norway and Cote d'Ivoire thumped 10-0 by European powerhouse Germany.

Despite the huge gap in scores, their performances on the pitch earned them respect. Thailand goalkeeper received even greater cheers from the stands than the 14 goals scored throughout the day when she made a successful penalty save, while Cote d'Ivoire player Ange Nguessan went close to score against the mighty German team with a brilliant header.

Both coaches of Thailand and Cote d'Ivoire took positives out of their defeats.

"We want to thank and congratulate the team of Germany, they are great.Playing against the best team in the world is also the best way to learn for us," said Clementine Toure, coach of Cote d'Ivoire.

"From this game, we have positive things to take back home -- the experience."

Thailand coach Nuengrutai Srathongvian said, "We met a very good team and learned how women's football at the international level works."

The Women's World Cup take place between June 6 and July 5, featuring 24 teams. The five other World Cup debutantes include Spain, Cameroon, Costa Rica, Switzerland and Ecuador. Endi