Egypt Find Their Rhythm to Overpower New Zealand in Vancouver

New Zealand could scarcely have asked for a better opening. Inside the first quarter of an hour at BC Place they struck first, their early goal rewarding a bold approach and briefly silencing the pockets of Egyptian support scattered around the stands. For a spell it seemed the ambush might hold, with New Zealand pressing high and Egypt struggling to settle on the ball.

But the lead only sharpened Egypt's resolve. Their equaliser owed as much to patience as to invention, a reminder that this is a side built to absorb early adversity. By the interval the momentum had turned decisively, and the second half became a study in control. Egypt dictated the tempo through the middle of the pitch, moving New Zealand from side to side until the openings appeared almost inevitable.

Two further goals settled the outcome, each arriving as the contest opened up and New Zealand were forced to commit numbers forward in search of a way back. The 3-1 margin flattered neither side unduly: Egypt were the more coherent team once they had shaken off their sluggish start, while New Zealand faded as the demands of chasing the game took hold.

The result leaves Egypt well placed after two matches, their authority in Vancouver a statement of intent for the rounds to come. New Zealand, by contrast, must regroup quickly. There was enough in that fast start to suggest they are not without ideas, but the manner of the collapse will trouble their coaching staff as the group tightens.