'It sends out the wrong message' - All Whites legend slams Football Ferns coach's defensive approach against Japan

All Whites great Sam Malcolmson hasn't held back in his criticism of New Zealand Football technical director Andreas Heraf's approach to the Football Ferns tactical style, following their 3-1 loss to Japan in Wellington yesterday.

Playing in Wellington for the first time since 1991, the Ferns welcomed a record crowd of over 7000 to the landmark friendly against Japan, in what should have been a celebration of the women's game in New Zealand.

Instead, Heraf - who is also the Football Ferns' coach - employed negative, defensive tactics throughout the match, with five defenders and only one forward, looking to limit the damage Japan were capable of inflicting rather than playing any sort of entertaining match.

Speaking to 1 NEWS, Malcolmson - who was part of the famous All Whites side that travelled to the 1982 World Cup in Spain - did not pull any punches in his assessment of Heraf's style.

"I was very disappointed," he said.

"We lost 3-1. (Without) Erin Nayler the goalkeeper, and some woeful finishing by the Japanese attackers, it could have been 7-1 or 8-1.

"Is it better to go out and attack, and get beaten 8-1 or 8-2 or something like that? Or to lose 3-1 with a terrible performance."

Malcolmson also slammed Heraf's refusal to acknowledge the occasion, with the friendly supposed to be a celebration of the Football Ferns' recent achievements, including a pay-parity deal with their male counterparts.

"It's a friendly, lets go forward and attack."

"We had the biggest crowd there, how many of the 7000 are going to come back for a negative performance like that?

"It sends out the wrong message - to the girls and the men.

"It starts to put question marks on how the appointments are made.

"We've got a director of football who's now running the Football Ferns. Questions have got to be asked about the structure and the set up.

"It sends out the wrong message to girls, boys, men wherever you want to say. New Zealand are used to being the underdogs in the football, but we always play organised, structured, and we try to score goals."