Football Ferns

Nixieboys222

I mean Portugal are 23rd, and not long ago were below NZ, they played USA a week ago and beat them 2-1, I think this reads far worse for the ferns :(

theprof

the clear difference between the #2 ranked team and the #33 ranked team, financially the spend on the USA team would dwarf ours and it is being demonstrated on the pitch today,

Its also an indication that NZ was ranked highly in the past when countries cared less about womens football. 

We need to be realistic and accept that we aren't a top 20-25 team in the world at the moment and probably will never be.

yeah I think this actually holds a lot of weight in the argument, much like women's rugby, where NZ have been the dominant force for years. This has changed now though as the likes of England, Canada and the US with all their resources, move their focus onto the international parts of their sports.

Thank fudge for the Phoenix womens team establishment and academy - if not for them we would have fallen off much steeper even than we have.

Womens international football has very little in common with a minor sport like womens rugby. Only England, France and NZ have fully professional women's rugby programmes. Canada went against that to make the WRC final. They crowd funded themselves to get there.

Black Ferns for the foreseeable long term future will be amongst the best teams.
Don't let 80,000 at Twickers for the WRC final, muddy the waters that womens rugby internationally will remain very minor fry. Even rugby mad South Africa can't get a fully pro womens programme up and going.

Womens football is just heading in the same direction as mens football. 
Logic just says all of the better resourced, larger traditional football nations with much bigger talent pools, and football as the dominant code will move ahead of NZ. No easy solution to stop that happening.

You see it now at the U17 & U20 girls world cups with nations like Zambia, Paraguay etc beating us comfortably.

Only in countries where women's sport is still not fully accepted - think the Middle East - will progress be slow.

The Ferns will never drop down as far as the AWs, but you can see them falling into a 40s-50s ranking range. That when the AWs true ranking is more like 50s-60s than current 80s.

Auckland finally getting an ALW side with a girls academy pathway a big factor in trying to arrest that Ferns ranking slide. You see it now with the number of ex/current Nix ALW players in the Ferns. Two of the most promising Ferns in Clegg & Fraser got their pro starts with the Nix. A 2nd NZ ALW side widens the base and gives more young talent an opportunity.

He's always a bit kind on the Ferns, Niche Cache.

https://theniche-cache.com/football/2025/10/31/football-ferns-vs-mexicousa-the-reaction

The mums return - Hassett & Chance. Good to see Leat back.
Bowen injured?  Still no Stott.


Head coach Michael Mayne has named 24 players, with six changes to the squad named for October’s Mexico and USA games.
 
Wellington Phoenix’s CJ Bott, Kolbotn IL’s Olivia Chance, Calgary Wild FC’s Ally Green, Stjarnan FC’s Betsy Hassett, and Newcastle Jets’ Anna Leat all return, as well as Wellington Phoenix FC’s Lara Wall being formally named for the first time after joining as an injury replacement last month.

The Ford Football Ferns squad to take on Australia has been confirmed 🔒🇦🇺 pic.twitter.com/EblV08RXnt

— New Zealand Football 🇳🇿 (@NZ_Football) November 12, 2025

https://www.friendsoffootballnz.com/2025/11/13/six-changes-made-to-football-ferns-squad-to-play-matildas-in-two-game-series/

Head coach Michael Mayne has made six changes to the 24-player Football Ferns squad named to play Australia in a two-match series.

Wellington Phoenix’s CJ Bott, Kolbotn IL’s Olivia Chance, Calgary Wild FC’s Ally Green, Stjarnan FC’s Betsy Hassett, and Newcastle Jets’ Anna Leat all return to the squad, as well as Wellington Phoenix defender Lara Wall, who is formally selected for the first time after joining as an injury replacement last month.

CJ Bott and Grace Wisnewski were named for the October internationals against the United States and Mexico but were forced to withdraw because of injuries.

Players who took part in the October internationals but who were not selected to play Australia are Katie Bowen (Inter Milan), Mackenzie Barry (Wellington Phoenix), Rebecca Lake (Vancouver Rise), Grace Neville (Ipswich Town), Manaia Elliott (Wellington Phoenix) and Hannah Blake (Durham).

Will be Sam Kerr's first Matildas games in Aussie for 2 years.

https://www.friendsoffootballnz.com/2025/11/17/matildas-name-experienced-squad-to-face-football-ferns-in-two-match-series/

Goalkeepers
Mackenzie Arnold (Portland Thorns, United States)
Chloe Lincoln (Brisbane Roar, Australia)
Teagan Micah (OL Lyonnais, France)

Defenders
Ellie Carpenter (Chelsea, England)
Steph Catley (Arsenal, England)
Charlotte Grant (Tottenham Hotspur, England)
Winonah Heatley (AS Roma, Italy)
Clare Hunt (Tottenham Hotspur, England)
Alanna Kennedy (London City Lionesses, England)
Courtney Nevin (Malmö FF, Sweden)

Midfielders
Kyra Cooney-Cross (Arsenal, England)
Katrina Gorry (West Ham United, England)
Amy Sayer (Kristianstads DFF, Sweden)
Emily van Egmond (Leicester City, England)
Clare Wheeler (Everton, England)
Tameka Yallop (Brisbane Roar, Australia)

Forwards
Caitlin Foord (Arsenal, England)
Michelle Heyman (Canberra United, Australia)
Kahli Johnson (Calgary Wild, Canada)
Sam Kerr (Chelsea, England)
Holly McNamara (Melbourne City, Australia)
Hayley Raso (Eintracht Frankfurt, Germany)
Remy Siemsen (Kristianstads DFF, Sweden)
Kaitlyn Torpey (Portland Thorns, United States)

Head coach
Joe Montemurro

I don't think I saw one article on Stuff or the Herald when this Ferns squad was selected. All a far cry from the 2023 WWC.

First match in Gosford this Friday.

Pulling up in 🇦🇺 pic.twitter.com/nHXnLlF5a7

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

Anyone other forum members going to the Aussie games?

I’ll be over for both, and I’ve been entrusted with the Flying Kiwis banner so hoping I can navigate past stadium security and my general incompetence at all things practical to get it on display.

Simon B

Anyone other forum members going to the Aussie games?

I’ll be over for both, and I’ve been entrusted with the Flying Kiwis banner so hoping I can navigate past stadium security and my general incompetence at all things practical to get it on display.

I'll be at the Gosford game on Friday

First session under the belt in New South Wales ✅

🇳🇿⚔️🇦🇺 28 Nov 9:30PM NZT
🇳🇿⚔️🇦🇺 2 Dec 10:30PM NZT pic.twitter.com/6SXWDfRrPQ

— New Zealand Football 🇳🇿 (@NZ_Football) November 25, 2025

Gym sesh complete 💪

🇳🇿⚔️🇦🇺 28 Nov 9:30PM NZT
🇳🇿⚔️🇦🇺 2 Dec 10:30PM NZT pic.twitter.com/ZreWX1zang

— New Zealand Football 🇳🇿 (@NZ_Football) November 25, 2025

Anyone know if the Ferns game tomorrow is televised?

Both games against the Matildas will be available live and free on FIFA+ and TVNZ.

On the grass 🌾

🇳🇿⚔️🇦🇺 28 Nov 9:30PM NZT
🇳🇿⚔️🇦🇺 2 Dec 10:30PM NZT pic.twitter.com/7bFB0Uqh6M

— New Zealand Football 🇳🇿 (@NZ_Football) November 26, 2025

Mickey Foster speaks. Can't embed tweet

https://x.com/i/status/1993839055566721172

Good to see the team (and presumably the venue) weren’t affected by Wednesday’s storm.

Speaking of knock-on effects from the weather, I’ve finally made it to Sydney 16 hours later than planned but my suitcase with my Ferns scarf, AWs shirt and the Flying Kiwis banner is still in Christchurch - so if anyone watching the game tonight wonders why there’s no banner, you can thank Qantas…

Hope Wisniewski starts. Sounds like she is one player doing really well with her (Danish) club at the moment.

Leat & Esson mighty rotate a game each in goal.

Most recent starting 11 verus USA.
Vic Esson, Liz Anton, Mackenzie Barry, Kate Taylor, Katie Bowen, Manaia Elliott, Michaela Foster, Annalie Longo, Indiah-Paige Riley, Milly Clegg & Katie Kitching 

Note Bowen, Barry & Elliott were not selected for these Matildas matches.

In to come Bunge/Moore, Bott & Wisniewski?

The winning team on match day minus one 🏆 pic.twitter.com/DhWcBZj1um

— New Zealand Football 🇳🇿 (@NZ_Football) November 27, 2025

https://www.friendsoffootballnz.com/2025/11/28/matildas-expect-good-challenge-from-football-ferns-in-series-opener/

M A T C H D A Y 🇳🇿🇦🇺

▶️ Watch live and free on TVNZ and FIFA+ from 9:30pm NZT at https://t.co/93C4hlKah4 pic.twitter.com/QuxaCp7yPA

— New Zealand Football 🇳🇿 (@NZ_Football) November 27, 2025

Pre-match walk in the ☀️

Watch us take on the Matildas live and free on TVNZ and FIFA+ at 9:30PM NZT

Watch here 👉 https://t.co/93C4hlKah4 pic.twitter.com/zpjZUhFImx

— New Zealand Football 🇳🇿 (@NZ_Football) November 28, 2025

Brown & Jackson start upfront.
Hahn in midfield plus Leat in goal.

Scoring a goal, and it not being complete one way traffic would be nice. 

Kerr building up her fitness to come off the pine for the Tillies.

Here's how we start in Gosford 🇳🇿⚔️🇦🇺

▶️ Watch live and free on TVNZ and FIFA+ from 9:30PM NZT at https://t.co/pWYNPd5zzA pic.twitter.com/g7TjKO257c

— New Zealand Football 🇳🇿 (@NZ_Football) November 28, 2025

STARTING XI 🗒

Here's how we line up for our game against New Zealand in Gosford! 👊#Matildas #AUSvNZL #FeelNewSouthWales pic.twitter.com/8wB9PjYDVI

— CommBank Matildas (@TheMatildas) November 28, 2025

Well at least the astronauts in the International Space Station can see our jersey numbers from space! 

one nil down, only took 12 minutes

FFS 2 nil now.

well... we look better than I expected, whenever Australia weren't scoring or looking like they were going to score.

Only just tuning in for second half. Whats stats like? Have we threatened much?

 

LT01

Only just tuning in for second half. Whats stats like? Have we threatened much?

Indiah put one just over the cross bar and we should have had a pen for a pretty clear handball just before Aussie scored their second. Otherwise the Matilda's could be up by 4 or more by now. 

Bott, Riley and Longo looking alright - everyone else looks like the relative level they play @ vs the Aussie's stacked with WSL players. Leat clearly our number 1 number 1 as well.

One thing I've noticed is that TVNZ+ is about 30 seconds behind the FIFA+ coverage.  They better sort that out for the World Cup.  

Our clearances are letting us down

4 nil.  

Two quick goals from Aus make it 4-0. Sadly Leat is having a pretty woeful game

Anton just gave them 2 in a minute.
Leat totally sold.

Ah well does it really matter? End of the day this is learning lessons for the World Cup where no doubt they will play for the fern, have fun in each others company and maybe score a goal!

LT01

Two quick goals from Aus make it 4-0. Sadly Leat is having a pretty woeful game

 Actually she was pretty good before the two goals which she got caught out of position for. I'd stick with her over Esson, she wasn't helped by the defense looking out of sorts. Hahn (who I assume is #6 so should be covering the back 2?) and Anton both not great. Riley should have scored at least one to make it 2 - 1. 

Couple of good saves there by Leat

To be fair, Leat has saved the shots she was in the goal mouth for, but caught out of position twice at least for their goals

20,519. Excellent crowd.