All is not lost, Black Sticks women's hockey captain Lizzy Igasan said after her side opened their Olympic Games with a 1-2 loss to Japan today.
New Zealand, who had targeted a win over Japan, will now have to try to prise positive results out of games against world No 2 Argentina, or No 3 Germany to have a semifinal shot.
The top two sides from each pool go through to the semifinals.
Lowly ranked Great Britain and the United States are also in the pool, with other first round matches due to be played overnight.
Playing in their alternative sky blue strip, New Zealand dominated for long periods, having 10 shots on goal to six by the Japanese.
But when it came to finishing, Japan put away two sharp chances while the Black Sticks squandered all but an Igasan penalty corner.
Two penalty corners in the last three minutes gave them hope of a draw, but one ended in a goalmouth scramble and the other was deflected wide.
There were lessons to be learned from the Japanese, Igasan told NZPA.
"They competed, they put away their opportunities and they were a bit more sound at the back, we can take a leaf from their book and go forward from here," she said.
"We've got the game in us, it's just a matter of allowing ourselves to put the heat on and keep pushing hard for 70 minutes, not just five-minute patches and 15-minute patches.
"It's a full competition, it's not one game -- so we're not down and out at this stage, we've got some things to look at and come in to the next game not willing to give away three goals and three points, and certainly put away our opportunities."
Japan absorbed early pressure then struck first when striker Sakae Morimoto found herself one-on-one against Black Sticks keeper Beth Jurgeleit in the 12th minute.
Morimoto made no mistake with a deft flick for her 95th test goal.
Five minutes later New Zealand were in deeper strife when Japan scored from a penalty corner, a Keiko Miura blast deflected into the net by a sprawling Toshie Tsukui.
Down 0-2 against the run of play New Zealand kept threatening, with Caryn Paewai hitting the side netting and Kayla Sharland backsticking across the face.
Ten minutes before halftime, Igasan scored from a penalty corner to haul it back to 1-2.
Experienced striker Niniwa Roberts, who injured a knee and was forced to leave the field six minutes before halftime, would be alright, coach Kevin Towns said.
Defender Sharland, who played with a leg strapped after having a hamstring injury coming to Beijing, was still not at full stretch, he said.
Sharland said the hamstring had tightened toward the end but "it should be ok".
Striker Jaime Claxton played the match wearing an armband with "For Dad" on it. Her father died this year after a long illness.
