Football Ferns

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/360843264/retiring-football-ferns-legend-ali-riley-left-out-squad-play-united-states-and-mexico

Missing from the squad are five players who were selected for the two-match series with Venezuela in June;
Ally Green (Calgary Wild, Canada), Betty Hassett (Stjarnan FC, Iceland), Grace Jale (Wellington Phoenix), Claudia Jenkins (Adelaide United) and Rebekah Stott (Melbourne City).

Football Ferns – October-November international window

Goalkeepers: Victoria Esson, Alina Santos

Defenders: Liz Anton, Mackenzie Barry, CJ Bott, Katie Bowen, Claudia Bunge, Meikayla Moore, Grace Neville

Midfielders: Michaela Foster, Maya Hahn, Katie Kitching, Annalie Longo, Emma Pijnenburg, Kate Taylor, Grace Wisnewski

Forwards: Hannah Blake, Kelli Brown, Milly Clegg, Manaia Elliott, Jacqui Hand, Deven Jackson, Indiah-Paige Riley, Gabi Rennie.

Friday, October 24, 3pm v Mexico; at Estadio Ciudad de los Deportes, Mexico City.

Monday October 27, 12pm v Mexico; at Estadio Olímpico Benito Juárez, Ciudad Juárez.

Thursday October 30, 1pm v United States; at CPKC Stadium, Kansas City.

No Jale

Oi Oi Edgecumbe

No Jale

Hopefully that will fire her up for the A league season.

Oi Oi Edgecumbe

No Jale

2 goals & 1 assist in 21 ALW games for the Nix last season. Not great stats.

Rennie is playing 2nd tier in Sweden, but her team look like being promoted and she is scoring regularly there.

Glad Ruby Nathan has also been dropped. Still young, but she's done nothing in the ALW, let alone for the Ferns.

Where are we at with goalies currently?

Feverish

Where are we at with goalies currently?

Our top three goal keepers would be
Vic Esson  (Phoenix)
Anna Leat  (Newcastle)
Claudia Jenkins.  (Adelaide)

All playing in the A league this year, so will be got competition for comparisons.

Adelaide & Newcastle both start their ALW seasons 2nd Nov.
Phoenix with the bye.
Football Ferns play USA 30th Oct (NZT).

So yes makes sense Leat & Jenkins just stay in Aussie. Especially Leat who is in a way restarting her pro career.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/360843264/retiring-football-ferns-legend-ali-riley-left-out-squad-play-united-states-and-mexico

https://www.friendsoffootballnz.com/2025/10/08/short-turnarounds-key-to-squad-selection-ferns-coach-michael-mayne/

Does Fraser even play anymore?
I can't see any reason not to take her.

If she hasn't played for months, there before your eyes is your reason not to select her.

Just not match fit enough for international football at the moment.

coochiee

If she hasn't played for months, there before your eyes is your reason not to select her.

Just not match fit enough for international football at the moment.

It's friendlies. She must have trained more consistently and at higher level than many of those in the squad, and she has 10 times more ability than some in the squad. I'd sure take her.

Friendlies against teams way above the level the Ferns - well the US anyway. No room for players without much match fitness/sharpness.

The last time Fraser played a game of competitive football was 13 mins for the Utah Royals nearly 6 months ago on 26th April.

I'm sure Mayne has spoken to Macey, and Nix coach Priestman. And some sort of joint decision that for these October games it's just best Fraser stays in Welly to prepare for the new ALW season. So to hopefully to hit the ground running at an important juncture in her club career. Nix play their first ALW game about a week after the Ferns play the USA.

Bit similar to Anna Leat who is restarting her pro career at the Jets, and also not been picked. 

Good grief.

https://theniche-cache.com/football/2025/10/13/football-ferns-vs-mexicousa-squad-yarns-amp-preview

The Football Ferns need more games, we’ve all been saying it. They took a couple of windows off after the Olympics which has left them playing catch-up under a new coach. Then they also ended up in the silly position of playing in Chinese Taipei a few months back where they had to cancel their only proper game because the pitch conditions were so rubbish. That one never got much explanation but Claudia Jenkins did pop up on a podcast a wee while ago in which she offered some context from a player’s perspective...

“When we went over there, we got to the field and the field was just covered in rocks and then they had these kids, like probably eleven kids out there picking up rocks and putting them into bags. So, there was like a turf training field that we trained on instead. We were supposed to train on the grass. It sort of looked like asphalt, the field, but it wasn't quite ready to train on or play on. So we trained on turf and then quite a few girls got injured from it. One girl did her ACL so yeah so the game got off unfortunately.”

That was Jana Radosavljevic who did her ACL. Real shame for Rado having earned a chance back in the national team after a spell in the wilderness. 

Yikes, for all it was disappointing the games didn't go ahead it was absolutely the right call reading that.

Niche Cache article.

The USA game is lame. We seem to play them more than anyone and it’s never any different. The Americans love that we offer them a good physical battle that usually ends with them winning 5-0. They seem to think it’s worthwhile but what do we gain from these fixtures? Nothing, really.  Look at this nonsense:

There’s no novelty when we play them this often (that’s more games against America during the past ten-and-a-bit years than we’ve had against Australia in that same span). It also doesn’t offer much room for tactical growth when we’re just stuck on defence the whole time. Things have changed a wee bit since Emma Hayes took charge but traditionally the Americans have thrived on athleticism and ruthlessness and we just don’t match-up well against that. That’s probably a big part of why USA soccer scene hasn’t been very nice to kiwi players in recent years. 

The only advantage to playing against the Americans is that they can afford to pay for everything. At least this time it’s a free hit thanks to the two matches against Mexico earlier in the window, a nation we beat 1-0 when we played them in September 2022 (CJ Bott with the winning goal). The Liga MX Feminil is one of the fastest growing leagues in the world so it’s very likely they’ve improved since then (Abby Erceg is playing for Toluca these days). But those should be good competitive outings. That’s what we’re here for.

No Callum Holmes.

https://www.nzfootball.co.nz/newsarticle/158877?newsfeedId=2064762

Ford Football Ferns head coach Michael Mayne has confirmed his coaching team for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 cycle.

Joining the group for the first time this month, for the upcoming games against Mexico and the USA, will be new assistant coach Jenni Foster.

Foster is currently Senior Team Coach with English Women’s Super League side Everton and will combine her Ford Football Ferns role with her existing position.

Before joining Everton, Foster held assistant coach roles with English clubs Leicester City and Bristol City, who were promoted to the WSL during her time with the team.

Foster joins assistant coaches Jenny Bindon and Sam Wilkinson, as well as goalkeeping coach Will Britt, all of whom have already been involved with the Ferns setup this year.

First game of the two-match series to held across the ditch announced. 

19th and 20th home games for the Matildas since the World Cup. Will also be the 14th and 15th consecutive matches the Ferns have played outside New Zealand.

Head down to a Wellington City Council meeting, and lobby for WCC to fund the Ferns hosting the Matildas (or anybody) at the ROF.

Presumably the water infrastructure in NSW functions well.

https://matildas.com.au/news/commbank-matildas-set-face-new-zealand-gosford#:~:text=Thanks%20to%20the%20support%20of,taking%20on%20Oceania's%20strongest%20team.

Thanks to the support of the New South Wales Government through its tourism and major events authority, Destination NSW, the CommBank Matildas will kick off the series at polytec Stadium, Gosford, on Friday 28 November 2025 (7:30pm AEDT), taking on Oceania’s strongest team.

Note the Wahinx are playing the Mariners at Gosford the following day (Saturday Nov 29th), so a double header for any Kiwi football fans in NSW/Central Coast.

ALW not pausing for FIFA windows?

Abby Erceg who plays in Liga MX to provide some intel?
That's if she still keeps in contact with the likes of Katie Bowen.

https://www.friendsoffootballnz.com/2025/10/21/mexico-names-23-player-squad-to-face-football-ferns-in-two-game-series/

Mexico have named a 23-player squad to play New Zealand in two women’s friendly internationals during the October window.

Head coach Pedro López has selected 19 players from Mexican clubs, with most coming from Liga MX Femenil sides such as Tigres, Pachuca and Club América.

Nix game going to be rescheduled 
https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/360861129/wellington-phoenix-game-be-rescheduled-avoid-club-v-country-clash-football-ferns-gosford

Procrastinixing

Nix game going to be rescheduled 
https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/360861129/wellington-phoenix-game-be-rescheduled-avoid-club-v-country-clash-football-ferns-gosford

Sam Kerr back for the Matildas after two years - that’ll be something to see.

https://www.friendsoffootballnz.com/2025/10/22/trinity-rodman-expected-to-miss-ferns-match-after-injury/

Game 2 verus Matildas to be in Adelaide.

Again in partnership with a State Govt (South Australia), which seems to be the arrangement for Matildas games in Oz.
The various State Govts chucking in some money to host.

https://matildas.com.au/news/commbank-matildas-set-return-adelaide-play-final-game-year#:~:text=Football%20Australia%20has%20today%20announced,the%20city%20since%20May%202024.

Football Australia has today announced the CommBank Matildas will head to Adelaide to take on New Zealand at Coopers Stadium on Tuesday, 2 December 2025 (8pm ACDT), marking the team’s first game in the city since May 2024.

Aided through a partnership with the South Australian Government via the South Australian Tourism Commission and Adelaide Venue Management, the match will be the second in a two-match international series against the Football Ferns, during the November/December FIFA Women’s International Window.

For those interested, looking at the cast of the 2023 WWC, only Haiti has had less home games than us, and they literally aren't allowed to play at home due to unrest/unsafeness.

20/32 have played more than 10 home games since the WWC, and even if you account for plenty of those matches being competitive scheduled fixtures, the likes of South Africa, Nigeria, Vietnam, Panama, Costa Rica and Colombia are organising more home friendlies than us. Not just against closeby teams too - Panama had Bolivia and Paraguay come, Costa Rica and Colombia both hosted us too. Vietnam even had a German club team visit!

The point is that not only are we getting left behind on the field by improving opposition across the world, but we are getting left behind off-field too. We sold out our stadiums in the World Cup, but haven't even given the team a chance to build long-lasting popularity and fandom. Unfortunately it feels like the ship has sailed now and the team has faded back into public obscurity. The players, supporters and young football participants of this country deserved better.

Ferns should breeze through 2027 WWC OFC qualifying early next year.
Be interesting to know what FIFA will pay qualified nations to attend the 2027 WWC.

Will they match the rumoured $USD10M, nations get for mens 2026 WC qualification?

If so another big boost to NZF's coffers, and they should be using some of that cash to bring teams to play the Ferns in Aotearoa.


NZF would have really hoped that there would have been a 2nd NZ ALW team launching about now, to increase the profile of the women's game. Sadly that's seems to be another 24 months away now.

KO 3pm today

On the grass for matchday minus one 🇳🇿⚔️🇲🇽

🇳🇿⚔️🇲🇽 24 Oct 3pm NZT
🇳🇿⚔️🇲🇽 27 Oct 12pm NZT
🇳🇿⚔️🇺🇸 30 Oct 1pm NZT
🎥 Watch live and free on FIFA+ / TVNZ pic.twitter.com/4N0n9biLg6

— New Zealand Football 🇳🇿 (@NZ_Football) October 23, 2025

Kelli Brown gets a start up top with Clegg & Hand.

Going to be a lot of rotation with 3 games in 6 days plus International travel.

The starting lineup to take on Mexico in Mexico City 🇳🇿⚔️🇲🇽

🎥 Watch live and free on FIFA+ and TVNZ+ from 3pm NZT: https://t.co/OrnXsSBMzP pic.twitter.com/ehEwJHf3TK

— New Zealand Football 🇳🇿 (@NZ_Football) October 24, 2025

Getting warm 🇳🇿⚔️🇲🇽

Watch live and free on FIFA+ and TVNZ+ from 3pm NZT 🎥 pic.twitter.com/esR3pnwFe7

— New Zealand Football 🇳🇿 (@NZ_Football) October 24, 2025

So good to have Ferns games again, can't wait to see where this squad is at over these next two matches. The match against the US of course will be of very little value or benefit to us, if any.

And hey, is this the same guy who commentated the AWs matches against Poland and Norway?

Is this the same commentator that did the recent All Whites game?

Edit, HattyCW also noticed it.

He is NZ Football's go-to guy (for off-the-tube calls) now, yes.

Not a great start.... 

yeah, very poorly defended corner.

Poor start with a bad goal conceded and Mexico dominating and creating fairly often throughout. What have we done going forward?

Hardly had room for a decent run up for the corner with all those cameras in the area

Many mis directed passes by the Ferns. Very frustrating.

Well that was pretty drab. Created little and Mexico frankly should've had a second

Lucky we only lost by 1.