Football Ferns

Myanmar type collapse please dutchies 

Time to bring on Rosie White  please

Looked scared of the ball there

this team is always so close but never quite there.

Have seen some real good play from both teams

Keep taking shots when there are good passing options on

Looked like she got clipped?

Ferns are playing very well in this half

Wtf - looks like a blatant penalty?

oh well, close but agree with alfstamp we aren't quite at the standard we need to be at these tournaments.  

We seem to not have much idea in the front 3rd; good at keeping possession though

I'm ready for a Slovakia moment now

Bugger, thought it might fall at the end there

Hannah Wilkinson and the new jasmine lass have a combined technical ability of a elephant. Can Rosie at least get a couple of mins, someone with a proven touch and shot. Tony Readings, please wake up.

Agree, we seemed to be a little blunt at the sharp end.

Wasn't a bad effort against a team ranked 5 places higher and had chances to draw or win the game

Was good to be able to watch the game free to air on SBS Australia

Thought we played well - I was impressed with the standard of ball control and passing. 

The skill we are weak in is heading. We'd have at least drawn if not won that game if we were better in the air. The accuracy of our set pieces was excellent but we never looked likely to score from them.

Found it quite watchable - roll on a Nix W-league team.

watching the under 20s after this, it looks like a bunch of wimps crying cos they got touched

much preferred the Ferns game

Thought we played well without ever really looking threatening.

Under Herdman, my perception of it was that this team was always heading in the right direction and getting results, making progress. I was not a fan but of him that's the impression I had. Under Readings, it's seems like we dominate but lose or something else unlucky happens  - like we are missing 2%. 

I thought it was a slow watch. The Dutch back 4 had it easy and the team kinda looked like it had a tactic of "give it to the strikers and we will be sweet" I though Wilkinson should have been used as a massive target person and people playing off of her. She is not overly skilled technically (looks like she has oversized clown shoes on) but if you are going to her and her height, then get it in to her, maybe some 1,2s and run off her. We did none of that and it was either trying to get inaccurate balls in behind on the angle or pump it in the mixer.

I though Wilkinson should have been used as a massive target person and people playing off of her. She is not overly skilled technically (looks like she has oversized clown shoes on) but if you are going to her and her height, then get it in to her, maybe some 1,2s and run off her.

Totally agree with this! It seemed that Wilkinson was forever on the right wing/inside right channel, when a central position would have benefited her/the team more. Can't understand it: was by accident or design? Nothing wrong with a centre forward pulling to the wings when needed, but this was something else...

I went to the two games yesterday. Both Canada and China were dire and the penalty that was awarded was never a penalty but the ref gave in to 55k Canadians booing.

Wilkinson was rubbish too but should have been given a penalty for her foul.  Was very warm too, got burnt bad.

Wilkinson was rubbish in the previous game against Japan too. She towers over people and really should be a lot better than she is, considering her career in the States. I thought against Japan, she was the weakest link wasting a couple of decent chances.

yeah I think Rosie White is a better footballer

TV ratings from yesterdays game v Netherlands - http://www.throng.co.nz/2015/06/tv-ratings-7-june-2015/

Most watched on SKY Sport 2

1. NRL: 12,670 (6:10pm – 8:00pm)
2. FIFA WC Women Post Game: 11,400 (2:50pm – 3:00pm)
3. NRL Pre Game: 11,210 (5:30pm – 6:10pm)

Results in group b:

Germany 10 Ivory Coast 0

Norway 4 Thailand 0

4-5 years of this. It is across the board in NZ football. 

I'd prefer Wilkinson over Gregarious, but either way surely something had to change as this combo has contributed stuff all goals 

I'd have started Hassett in midfield.

I agree. Hassett was a favourite under Herdman and he raved about how well she performed in testing across various measures. Words to the effect of 'the best in the team across several measured criteria' but I guess each coach has their horses they like.

Results in matches played today.

Sweden 3 Nigeria 3

Cameroon 6 Ecuador 0

USA 3 Australia 1

Japan 1 Switzerland 0

Results on matches played today

Living in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, certainly makes it tough to follow New Zealand football, which is even more annoying with the U20 WC on at the moment, but I was extremely lucky to be up in Edmonton last Saturday for work, and managed to get to the opening two games.

Canada v China was a good watch, not as dire in person as it probably seemed on TV, as the atmosphere was actually pretty good at the ground. Commonwealth Stadium isn't a great stadium by Canadian sporting standards, but was better than I expected, and actual attendance was probably something like 45,000 rather than the 51,000 suggested. I was a bit sceptical of the penalty in person, but having seen the replay now it clearly was a foul.

Only negative was that probably half the croud left after the Canada game finished which was disappointing but probably not too surprising. There were lots of younger kids at the game and 5 hours is just too long for them to be sitting in 30 degree direct sunshine. Maybe a shorter gap between the games would have helped, but too late to change that. On the bright side, that left lots of empty seats up the front that I moved to, and ended up sitting with a few other New Zealanders who were family members of a player and had travelled to Canada with the team for the tournament.

New Zealand v Netherlands game was pretty much as has been described by others here. Lots of possession, some pretty good play, but we never really looked too dangerous. I think we could be a pretty good match for Canada and China though, so I haven't written off our hopes yet.

Speaking of which, I've booked myself a rental car and will be driving up to Edmonton again tomorrow morning (after a short sleep, given the U20 game won't finish until about 3.30am local time) to watch the New Zealand v Canada game. It's only a three hour drive, so I'd be crazy not too! Will try take more pictures this time, but here's the one shot from last time that I managed to tweet before my phone died:

https://twitter.com/peteremcc/status/6073546776304...

Go Football Ferns!

Hassett back in the starting line-up today, I see.

Match suspended due to weather dammit

NZ miss yet another penalty

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Betsy Hassett should have started the previous game.

We didn't even look like scoring. Don't know if we have better forward options but we're toast if we don't.

Our keeper is very good.

China have beaten the clogs too so the last round of games will be very interesting