New Zealand and Utah Royals FC DF Katie Bowen fell to the eighth-ranked Netherlands in their opening match of the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup after a last minute stunner gave the Dutch the go ahead goal to secure all three points.
Under recently-appointed Head Coach Tom Sermanni, Bowen started the match in the midfield for the Football Ferns and played the full 90 minutes. Throughout the match Bowen shifted to a more defensive role more, helping to limit the Dutch attack.
After 90 minutes of back-and-forth pressure from both sides with a series of opportunities for both New Zealand and the Netherlands it appeared as if the game would end in a scoreless draw, the second of the tournament, thanks in large to an excellent showing from Bowen and New Zealand’s defense.