Football Ferns

NZ empty the bench - Flea is on.  Very positive, attacking approach from the Football Ferns.

thanks - llink won't load, but i'm at work anyway, so fifa matchcast and yellow fever updates are my limit.

Where is Hannah Wall? Needs waaaay more Hannah Wall.

The long ball straight to the Japanese working out...

we preformed quite well i thought. looked good most of second half.

I believe that Hannah Wall is now abed, thinking herself accursed, etc.

This has been a good performance from the Football Ferns.  They were positive and gave a very strong Japan side a real run.  It will be interesting to see how they go through the tournament, but just playing in this fashion is a great advertisement for New Zealand football.

You must have been watching a different game to me...

We just kicked the ball away too much! We have good midfield players in Hassett, Percival and Moorwood but we dont play to them. Also cannot believe Kirsty Yallop did not get on at least!

We hope that an aimless long ball for Wilkinson to chase will pay off, BUT it wont!

Iwabuchi was the Japanese girl who was amazing in the U17s in 2008 - really classy player!
RayMysterio2011-06-28 03:01:38

Is this the best trolling that the women's world cup will attract?

I am very disappointed.

Hardly trolling... just stating an honest opinion/assessment of the performance. Japan hit the post, had 3 or 4 clear cut chances that they butchered. If they had been more clinical in front of goal we could have been on the end of a hiding.

The ferns have some very good players; Riley, Smith, Erceg, Green are a strong back 4, Hoyle is a combative spoiler who would be more effective if she played shorter balls when she wins possession. Hassett, Percival, Moorwood and YALLOP are good midfield players and can really play! Hearn is a goal scorer without a doubt but she needs better service than the long ball (the cross for the goal was perfect!) Then Gregorious and White would be great foils for Hearn.

Very surprised not to see Yallop and White get on the field.

I hope Yallop and White get their chance in the next game.
RayMysterio2011-06-28 03:17:19

All i can say after watching that game. HOLD onto the bloody ball. Long bombs and hoping won't win you any games.

I set my alarm to 12:45 instead of 00:45 so missed the game.  Still proud of the girls, losing 2-1 to Japan isnt the worst result.   Hey Spain lost their first game at the mens FIFA WC last year so you never know!  I'm keeping the faith.

Hearn only got on the end of that cross because of a long ball to Percival.  How can you complain about the service from the long ball and praise its results in the same sentence?

Seriously, a short passing game would have been an utter disaster.  The tactics you're proposing would have seen the Ferns pinned back in their own half for the whole match and beaten 5 or 6 to nothing.

I was not discussing tactics for this game I was commenting on the generic 'style' of play NZF and in this case the Ferns are utilising. It is the old English Long Ball which has been well and truly surpassed. RayMysterio2011-06-28 15:00:30

agree with you entirely RayMysterio (actually not so much that all our midfielders actually can play). Stripes I dont know what you are on about mate - that was embarrassing. Didnt pass to feet once. Green humped it 29/30 times. We tried to be bullies. No width. And fark Herdman (we dont have much to work on?) and Smith (she ran into me?) talked rubbish afterwards. At this rate the only way we will score will be a Green corner.

Maybe a little too subtle, until that last sentence. 

If you want a model for small countries succeeding in football, then Greece at Euro 2004 is the best in show.  The odds for these tournaments are pretty similar: 250/1 for the Greeks, 200/1 for the Ferns.  (Spain at the last world cup were around 3/1.)  The Greek miracle came from playing to the strengths of the team and working to nullify the opposition, rather than slavishly adopting the game's latest fashions.

However, if it's a world-beating football philosophy you're looking for, the Spanish/Dutch model does not have a distinguished pedigree.  While Spain is currently in ascendancy, both teams have a long history of under-achievement.  Over the long run, it would make more sense to ape Italian methods (Brazil's slightly superior record does not impress given that country's larger pool of players).

Finally, if the task is just to contemplate an imaginary Football Ferns, I recommend electing oneself their manager and inflating the players' figures along with their skills.  Where to from there is really just a matter of personal gratification.

I don't know how you look at a change ten years ago "over the long term".  Rehhagel's Greece qualified for 2 European Championships (winning one) and 1 World Cup.  Before him, they'd only ever qualified for the European Championship once.  So, it definitely looks like an outstanding change of style when viewed in the context of that country's footballing history.  (Hungary, for reference, didn't qualify for either tournament in this period.)

However, if you're thinking long term, then let me point you back to Italy.  I'm sure you don't doubt their record!  Forget 'attractive' expansive passing games, and start teaching kids to wind each other up, use the rules of the game to their advantage, and accept that 1-0 is just as good as 5-0.  These are timeless principles which will always have a value in football.

I would rather we lose games at the Cup then dish up the sht we served up yesterday - and drawing comparisions with international mens sides is pointlessFeverish2011-06-29 11:31:50

You only just finished agreeing whole-heartedly with Ray's comparisons to international men's sides.  I'm not saying that you can't change your position, but this is a little jarring.
Stripes2011-06-29 13:17:05

Just one moment. Is this a five minute argument or the full half hour?
  Junior822011-06-29 13:25:32

was referring to his earlier posts where you tried ripping him to shreds. Anyway, hopefully there will be a bit more football to watch in the next two games - there cant be any less.

Very confident talk coming out of the camp before tomorrow mornings game.

Go the Ferns, thrash those bloody poms!!!

Well,I see a couple of other hardy..or foolhardy.. souls are watching on this thread this early  morning hour. An entertaining first half, England expectedly dominate possession,
but NZ winning 1 - 0 HT
The goal.. a great ball from  our left wing to Amber Hearn under pressure who snaps a great cross to Gregorius who, with two defenders on her case, slotted past the sliding keeper.
 Second half should be pretty lively!

RedGed2011-07-02 05:15:47

common guys
you can do it

Final score NZ 1 - 2 England
Well, have to say that second half was frustrating and watching the Ferns play in both of these games has been generally frustrating..missed opportunities, needless turnover of possession at crucial times, (especially clearances given straight back to the opposition), too much space given to opposition in dangerous situations, failure to score when golden opportunities presented.
The positives-Hearn's early second half header on goal was just over.. could probably have sealed the game for NZ had she been successful. When they were winning, they played with real purpose and retained possession so much more. Some talent there with Gregorius and Hearn looking positive on attack, Hassett a real ball player, holds ball and attacks well in midfield, if only she had been given more quality ball to use.
 There's potential in this NZ team, how to develop them to the next level is the challenge.

Should have won this game!
England were very short on ideas and our needless turning over of possession simply gave them too much ball and goals were almost inevitable!
Midfield 4 offered very little in terms of possession :(

better performace - tried to play a bit. No one stood out. I like Hearn even though she didnt do much. Not so much Smiths mindless longer balls

Damn. They played well, lots of turnovers but I think overall we were the better side. How different it would have been if the ref had given the (clear to my eyes) penalty to us.

I was watching, but wasn't online. So sad for the girls. I really believed we were going to win after the 1st half. Though Hoyle looked ok. We are improving, close games. Sometimes these ones are harder to take than being thumped 4 or 5 nil.

Speaking of being thumped, Japan hammered Mexico 4-0, no good for their goal difference. They will come out all guns blazing when they play us.

Thought England looked far stronger in the second half and were clearly a better passing team.Nz fought hard,but whenever they crossed the half way line they quickly ran out of ideas:Nz team is full of heart,physicality and fitness,but we knew that before the tournament:the lack of classy ball player(s)will always consign Nz to making up numbers.The need is to promote greater technique and everything else will follow...

Hard luck Ferns!! Clear penalty in the box in 2nd half, when we were up 1-0 !!! Massive improvement though on previous WC 

Its the aimless or hopeful long balls that are the problem.
Greens long ball pass was angled and instigated by Percivals run wide and into space and then the cross to Hearn. It something we should be doing more of.

The diamond midfield means its the job of the wide backs to get forward and provide the crosses. But not sure they are up to it throughout an entire match.
I think we needed 433 to get a bit of width consistently and put teams under pressure with crosses into Hearn or White or Wilkinson.

also don't know what this penalty chat is referring to...unless it's the handball from the australian game. embarrassing.

if it's about unitt's well-timed, ball-first tackle on gregorious in the england game then it is well off. cracking recovery from the defender.

whoever is awake, get fired up. national anthem on now. rosie white and hayley moorwood are starting (were off the bench in game against england)

Good luck girls!

well not a good start for us. already down 1-0.

ball went straight through bindon's legs. Grrr should have done better.