Finished 3-2 in favour of the Matildas.
Football Ferns
Definite game of two halves. Got ripped apart for first half hour -, although we did have a golden chance before the first Aussie goal (25 yds top corner). 3-0 down at half time , but dominated second half after a couple of substitutions and unlucky not to equalise.
Two good performances against top 10 sides but would have been nice to get a win against either.
We perhaps need a bit more guile in the midfield , although pressing game may detract from the skills of Longo and Co. Sometimes play our way into trouble with the possession retention at the back but good to see it perservered with as it is the long term solution.
Am finding womens football very enjoyable to watch - bit less cynical than mens , but don't anyone tell you it's less physical. Hope the Aussie GK is okay - she looked to be in some pain with a serious knee injury as she was stretchered off.
Good crowd - hard to tell but probably 1500 ?
Scheduling at 7 pm on a work day a bit stupid (I like probably others was caught up in the traffic jam on the Southern motorway) , but may have had something to do with outward travel of players.
A bit disappointing to lose at home to an Aussie side that hadn't played a game for nine months before this tournament, considering all the matches the Football Ferns have played in that period.
Shows that there's a very large gap indeed between our women's football and the Aussies.
I don't know what the standard of the Aussie women's league is like but considering that most A-League clubs have women's sides in the W-League, it must be considerably better than our women's league.
Also, the football Ferns have some talented players who play in strong leagues overseas - but mostly aren't star players in those leagues.
Whereas the Aussies are producing players who are amongst the world's best such as midfielder Gorry who is current Asian Women's Player of the Year. Some of their other players would be stars in the leagues they've been playing in in the USA, Europe etc. too.
Still, with their larger population and and I expect good financing of women's football (I suppose the FFA are putting decent amounts into women's football from the approx. $A 90 - 100 million income that the FFA has to work with every year), plus excellent coaching structures with the AIS, the state institutes of sport and the W-League clubs, it's pretty much impossible for us to get anywhere near close to them.
FIFA are pretty crap with their tournament scheduling this year with the FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada on at the same time as the u-20 Men's World Cup in NZ and the Copa America in Chile:
FIFA Women's World Cup Canada June 6 - July 5
FIFA Men's u-20 World Cup NZ: May 30 - June 20
Copa America Chile June 11 - July 4
Internationally most TV viewers will opt to watch the Copa America and viewing figures for the u-20's in NZ and the Women's World Cup won't be great.
In NZ it'll probably mean that Sky TV won't screen the Copa America this time as they did in 2011 because it would take NZ viewers away from the u-20 World Cup which they are the host broadcaster for and don't have to pay any rights for - and they will be showing the Football Ferns three group games from Canada plus some later round games.
Football Ferns Schedule FIFA Women's World Cup 2015:
vs. Netherlands, Edmonton 7 pm June 6 (1 pm June 7 NZT)
vs. Canada, Edmonton 7 pm June 11 (1pm June 12 NZT)
vs. China, Winnipeg 6.30 pm June 15 (11.30 am June 16 NZT)
If NZ finish second in their group:
Their Round of 16 game will be:
20 June 5.30 pm local time MDT (21 June 11.30am NZT)
IF NZ finish third in their group:
Their Round of 16 game will be:
20 June 4 pm local time EDT (21 June 8 am NZT)
The Football Ferns' first group game vs. Netherlands (1pm June 7 NZT)is on at the same time as the u-20 World Cup games in NZ:
Germany v Honduras, Christchurch 2 pm 7 June
and Uzekistan v Fiji, Whangarei 2 pm 7 June
Tue, 24 Feb 2015 7:44a.m.
Football Ferns coach Tony Readings is with us to look at
the squad he has selected for his side’s upcoming two-match series
against Spain and the challenges that will await the team in their
meetings with the 15th-ranked Spanish.
http://www.radiolivesport.co.nz/Tony-Readings/tabid/454/articleID/22544/Default.aspx
Football ferns come back from 2 nil down, to draw 2 all with Spain.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/football-soccer/news/article.cfm?c_id=86&objectid=11411478
Highlights including the goals
A second draw against Spain, 0-0 this time:
http://www.nzfootball.co.nz/stalemate-in-la-roda/
Football Ferns: 1. Erin Nayler (GK), 4. Katie Hoyle, 5. Abby Erceg (capt), 6. Rebekah Stott, 7. Ali Riley, 9. Amber Hearn, 10. Sarah Gregorius (24. Jasmine Pereira 60’), 11. Kirsty Yallop (12. Betsy Hassett 64’), 14. Katie Bowen, 16. Annalie Longo, 17. Hannah Wilkinson (13. Rosie White 84’)
Substitutes not used: 15. Meikayla Moore, 18. CJ Bott, 22. Evie Millynn, 23. Cushla Lichtwark (GK), 26. Daisy Cleverley
Coach: Tony Readings
Summing up the tour, Readings says the two games have been another valuable learning experience for the team with the FIFA Women’s World Cup coming in June.
“We weren’t so good in the first half of the first game, we were good in the second half and we were good across the whole game today.”
“Overall it’s been quite a solid tour for us and we think definitely a step forward because today we’ve kept a very strong Spain team goalless. But at the same time we haven’t scored and we know it’s something we need to work on but it’s the first time it’s happened this year.”
The next match in the Football Ferns FIFA Women’s World Cup build-up is against world number two the United States in St Louis on Sunday 5 April (NZ time).
Re Cushla Lichtwark (GK), I see she was a netballer. Is our womens game not strong enough to have decent goal keepers that we have to convert netball players for that matter??? Is this not an insult to those on the fringe of making the team?
Radio Sport's Rikki Swannell speaks to Football Ferns captain Abby Erceg, who's been awarded a special cap for becoming the first New Zealand footballer to reach 100 caps.
http://www.radiosport.co.nz/on-demand/audio/abby-erceg-football-ferns-captain/
Squad named for upcoming dates against5 no 2 side USA
Great to See a Couple of players returning after some major injuries last year (Anna Green (Yea Palmy girl), Hayley Bowden)
Fri, 20 Mar 2015 7:01a.m.
Football Ferns coach Tony Readings joins the show to look
at his side’s upcoming clash with the world’s second best team, the USA,
in St Louis.
http://www.radiolivesport.co.nz/Tony-Readings/tabid/454/articleID/23881/Default.aspx
Ferns TV Coverage Confirmed:
http://www.oceaniafootball.com/ofc/News/ViewArticl...
United States v Football Ferns - Sky Sport 1 (Replay 12 noon SS 2)
Saturday 4 April, 3.18pm local time (Sunday 5 April, either 7.18 am or 8.18am NZ time according to differing Sky TV or NZ football releases)
Busch Stadium, St Louis
Japan v Football Ferns
Sunday 24 May
Marugame Staduim, Kagawa, Japan (TV coverage details to be announced)
First time daylight saving has helped, got to sleep in and be up in time to watch the game
Sky is shark. First weekend in April is daylight savings. Could have had an extra long sleep in. Muppets
These commentators have me feeling Twitter USA Soccer Guy
Restraining line is my favourite. Which I think means offside line.
Yeah he's a dag. Voluntary plunge is a good one.
Ferns look slow in attacking transition. And still the distribution from the back 4 is inaccurate.
Probably lucky to not be 4 down.
Horrific defending
carnage
Probably lucky to not be 4 down.
Crikey
Terrible game by the ferns, have they gone backwards?
at least Readings has called it for the shark it was
Australia planning a bid for 2023 WWC, according to FFA WOF report released today.
Senior player Hayley Bowdon announces her retirement from international football:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/nz-teams/684...
Fifth-highest caps in Football Ferns history (92).
Ten years in the side.
Fair enough she wants to concentrate on her young family at age 31.
when is the football ferns squad for the World Cup named??
Thursday at 11am
Senior player Hayley Bowdon announces her retirement from international football:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/nz-teams/684...
Fifth-highest caps in Football Ferns history (92).
Ten years in the side.
Fair enough she wants to concentrate on her young family at age 31.
Seems an odd decision to me, especially reading that article.
What was the point of returning to the Ferns if you're not going to play in Canada? I would have thought retiring after the WC would have made more sense.
Is anyone here thinking of going to any Ferns WC games? I'm thinking of heading out from the UK if I can fit a game or two around work.
http://www.nzfootball.co.nz/football-ferns-named-for-world-cup/
Goalkeepers
Cushla Lichtwark (0/0 – Upper Hutt City FC, NZL)
Erin Nayler (27/0 – Norwest Utd FC, NZL)
Rebecca Rolls (21/0 – Three Kings Utd, NZL)
Defenders
Catherine Bott (1/0 – Forrest Hill Milford Utd AFC, NZL)
Abby Erceg (capt – 112/5 – Chicago Red Stars, USA)
Anna Green (56/7 – Fencibles Utd AFC, NZL)
Meikayla Moore (10/0 – Eastern Suburbs AFC, NZL)
Ria Percival (102/11 – USV Jena, GER)
Ali Riley (92/1 – FC Rosengard, SWE)
Rebekah Stott (38/2 – Claudelands Rovers, NZL)
Midfielders
Katie Bowen (25/0 – University of North Carolina, NZL)
Daisy Cleverley (3/2 – Forrest Hill Milford Utd AFC, NZL)
Katie Duncan (101/1 – FC Zurich, SWI)
Betsy Hassett (77/8 – Fencibles Utd AFC, NZL)
Annalie Longo (77/6 – Coastal Spirit FC, NZL)
Evie Millynn (2/0 – Western Springs AFC, NZL)
Kirsty Yallop (89/12 – Vittsjo GIK, SWE)
Forwards
Sarah Gregorius (65/21 – AS Elfen Saitama, JPN)
Amber Hearn (98/45 – USV Jena, GER)
Emma Kete (48/3 – Fencibles Utd AFC, NZL)
Jasmine Pereira (7/0 – Three Kings Utd, NZL)
Rosie White (68/14 – Fencibles Utd AFC, NZL)
Hannah Wilkinson (68/22 – University of Tennessee, USA)
Management staff
Head of Delegation: Sue Griffin
Head coach: Tony Readings
Assistant coach: Aaron McFarland
Assistant coach: Danny Robinson
Manager: Claire Hamilton
Sports Scientist: Harriet Steele
Performance Analyst: Gary Connell
Physiotherapist: Catherine Porteous
Physiotherapist: Justin Lopes
Doctor: Chris Hanna
Media Officer: Jamie Scott
Seems a Phoenix women's side in Australia's W-League is on the cards.
Can only help the Football Ferns improve:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/a-league/685...
Right at the end:
"Plans to have an ASB Youth team next season are on track, as are those for a female side in the W-League within two years."
11 management staff.... I dont get why there needs to be a "Head of Delegation" and a Manager. I also dont get why there needs to be 2 Physiotherapists.
Surely the manager could handle the media officers duties?
You want the manager to write the stories? FFS it's a World Cup.
11 management staff.... I dont get why there needs to be a "Head of Delegation" and a Manager. I also dont get why there needs to be 2 Physiotherapists.
Surely the manager could handle the media officers duties?
What did the men's team have?
10 for the korea game
Head coach: Anthony Hudson
Assistant coach: Alex Armstrong
Goalkeeper coach: Paul Gothard
U-20 Head coach: Darren Bazeley
Manager: Rob Pickstock
Doctor: Chan Dassanayake
Head Physio: Roland Jeffrey
Physio: Mark Palmer
Sports Scientist: Aidan Wivell
Performance Analyst: Jase Kim
I have seen the level of organisation required at a world cup, a head of delegation or whatever it was called is needed. FIFA are next level anal about some stuff.
Frontpage story on fifas WWC 2015 site:
Kiwis name experienced squad for Canada charge
I've just brought tickets for the open match too in Edmonton. Any other kiwis here going?