not sure if anyone was dropped?
Out: Lily Alfeld, Hannah Blake, Sarah Morton
In: Daisy Cleverley, Anna Leat, Meikayla Moore, Michaela Robertson, Marisa van der Meer
So nothing vaguely radical there?
is van der Meer a good prospect?
Not quite sure what radical would look like, but I wouldn't say this is it.
Of the XI starters from the 2018 Fifa U-17 World Cup, she wouldn't have been in my first five picks to join Anna Leat and Maggie Jenkins in being called up to the Football Ferns (I'd personally really like to see Macey Fraser and Grace Wisnewski included in squads), but with Anna Green injured and in doubt for the Olympics and Sarah Morton getting back to full fitness, she's probably as good a left back understudy as any, given that's where the skipper plays, and the skipper will be playing 90.
Any attackers?
Surely if we don’t score at this tournie a broom has to be applied? Only so long you can talk about positive ‘off-field’ personalities
Mickey Robertson
It's a pretty strong tournament - only Portugal (31) are ranked below NZ (23) other teams are Germany (2nd), Sweden (5th), Norway (12), Italy (14), Denmark (16), & Belgium (17) So I reckon we'll be doing well if we get a result
Until recently considered the most prestigious annual women's international friendly tournie in the world.
(Has been run annually since 1994)
Only usurped the last couple of years by the "She Believes Cup" in the USA.
We have been invited to participate only once before, in 2016.
We weren't considered glamorous enough so usually have only been invited to the second-tier Cyprus Cup instead.
In 2016 we did pretty well, finishing fourth of the eight teams:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_Algarve_Cup
Australia have never finished better than fourth in this tournament either (2017, 2018).
Group play: runner-up in group to Brazil
lost to Brazil only 1-0
vs. Russia 0-0
Beat hosts Portugal 1-0
3rd place play-off:
Drew with Iceland 1-1
(lost on penalties 6-5)
Canada beat Brazil 2-1 in the final that year.
USA have won the tournament 10 times (including 9 in 13 years since 2003), Norway 5, Sweden 4, Germany 3
Last year Norway beat Poland 3-0 in the final, while Canada beat Sweden in the third-place play-off.
The format has changed from time-to-time:
When NZ took part in 2016 there were two four team groups (NZ played four games).
Last year there were four three team groups.
This year, there are eight teams but no groups (NZ are guaranteed only three games)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_Algarve_Cup#Qualification
One qualification game vs. Belgium, one 5th to 8th place semi-final or a semi-final (depending on result in first game), one 7th place game or 5th place game.
If we win our first and second games, then we make the final (still only playing three games in total)
