Football Ferns

#FootballFerns will play #TeamGB to open the Olympic Games on March 25 in Cardiff. #London2012

Fantastic draw - well pleased with this. Four points and a quarter-finals berth are very gettable, and it's knockout football after that ...

Potential small crowd awaits NZ

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/soccer-football/news/article.cfm?c_id=86&objectid=10804696

"The New Zealand women's side play hosts Great Britain at Wales' Millennium Stadium on July 25, two days before the opening ceremony, and British newspaper The Daily Mail reported overnight that only 11,000 tickets have been sold for the 74,500-capacity venue."

Actually, from reading British news sites, that figure of tickets sold was BEFORE the last round of ticket sales from 30 April- 6 May- number would have increased a lot since then. Sloppy journalism...

See this report of April 30:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/apr/30/london-2012-football-tickets-olympics

"Before Monday [i.e. April 30], only 10,000 tickets have been sold for the very first event of the Games, the Great Britain women's football team against New Zealand and Cardiff's Millennium Stadium on 25 July."

POST ON UK NEWS AND FOOTBALL FORUM SITES:

Have been passing the time whilst Yellow Fever website was down posting on British newspaper websites covering the Olympic Football, adding comments about our men's and women's sides to inform the British public who no doubt know nothing about us.

All helps in a small way to add interest and promote these games.

Doesn't take long to register on these sites in order to post comments.

Also good for the latest Olympic Football news.

PAPERS OF CITIES HOSTING FOOTBALL FERNS MATCHES:

(keep an eye out for future reports you can add a post to):

Cardiff:

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sports/london-olympics-2012/

http://www.westerntelegraph.co.uk/sport/national/

Coventry:

http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/2012/04/24/belarus-a...

NATIONAL PAPERS AND MEDIA:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/olympics-2012-football

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/olympics/index.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/olympics/

http://www.metro.co.uk/olympics/898578-failure-to-sell-womens-football-t...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/olympics/2012/sports/football

http://www1.skysports.com/olympics/news-wire/15234

UK FOOTBALL FANS SITES (NATIONAL AND CLUBS OF CITIES HOSTING FOOTBALL FERNS GAMES):

http://www.thefootballforum.net/index.php?/topic/210769-mens-football-at...

http://www.footballforumuk.com/topic/57458-olympic-football-draw/

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18396157

http://boards.footymad.net/forum.php?tno=386&fid=185&sty=2&act=1&mid=211...

http://apostlewelshfootie.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=d...

http://www.cardiffcityforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=77263

http://www.ccmb.co.uk/fudforum/index.php?t=msg&th=318637&goto=3137546&ri...

http://www.skybluestalk.co.uk/threads/15092-Team-GB-football-team

UK Women's Football Threads:

http://forum.football.co.uk/forum-197.html

http://www.womensfootball.eu/forum/index.php/topic,6994.40.html

ALSO: Sky in NZ announced their Olympic coverage details today:

http://www.skysport.co.nz/article/olympics/summer-olympics-2012/sky-sport-coverage-of-the-london-olympic-games-61168/

Sky is having five channels for the olympics, Im guessing every game for the men and woman will be on live?

One would hope so, but I wouldn't count on it, Sky are dicks after all.

Excellent win for the Football Ferns.  And Sky is showing the 2nd game live on Wednesday night. 

Football Ferns v China LIVE
Channel: SKY Sport 1
Genre: SKY Sport
Description: Football Ferns v China LIVE

Football Ferns v China Replay
Channel: SKY Sport 2
Genre: SKY Sport
Description: Football Ferns v China Replay

Football Ferns v China Replay
Channel: SKY Sport 3
Genre: SKY Sport
Description: Football Ferns v China Replay

Football Ferns v China Replay
Channel: SKY Sport 1
Genre: SKY Sport
Description: Football Ferns v China Replay

Oh wow, huge thumbs up to Sky for this. I retract my statement two posts above this one .

Won't be able to watch it though because I will be at Flight of the Conchords. First world problems.

I was as shocked as you Patrick.  Guess NZF must have paid a wee bit to get it on air?  I'm going to FOTC on Thursday, good planning. Enjoy the show.

Awesome win today! I've posted some photos I took of the game along with a brief write-up here:

http://in-the-back-of-the.net/2012/06/17/football-ferns/

Looking forward to watching the Football Ferns take on China tonight at North Harbour live on Sky Sport 1 at 7.30pm.

If you live in Auckland, get along to the game (adults only $15). Wish we had matches like this in Chch...

I have a good feeling about this side - it's stacked with players playing in the best women's leagues (6 play in the women's Bundesliga in Germany, two in Sweden, one for Chelsea in England, a couple in the Aussie women's league):

Lineup from first match v China: Bindon; Percival (Green, 62), Smith (Stott, 46), Erceg, Riley; Moorwood (Hassett, 62), Hoyle (Longo, 85), Hearn, Yallop; Kete, Gregorius 

Good Jeremy Ruane match report of first game here:

http://www.sportswebsoccer.com/cgi-bin/control.pl?Function=News&Option=ferns&Item=20120618.txt

Sounds like we were completely dominant. Goalkeeper could be a weak point though. Wonder why goalie Aroon Clansey (Liverpool) wasn't called up? Also midfielder Katie Rood (Lincoln, England) is absent. Must not have been released by their English Women's Premier League clubs since they're in mid-season over there...

The squad grows stronger all the time, with NZ-born but Aussie-raised defender Rebekah Stott (Melbourne Victory) making her debut in the first game.

These two China games are being billed as celebrating "40 Years of Women's Football in NZ"

Also doing much celebrating was Ferns captain Rebecca Smith whose birthday it was on the day of the first match.

Also note that Chinese Women's football has been in decline over quite a few years now - very sad and quite unfair since CFA are now flushed with money and have made noises about development programmes (not sure if anything has actually happened) - which will probably be aimed at boys.

A shame they can't make it down to Wgtn ("the home of NZ football" - R Herbert).

China are currently ranked 18th but have been as high as 4th. Today’s win was hailed over the stadium PA system as the greatest win in New Zealand women’s football history. I haven’t checked, but I suspect it’s the greatest in New Zealand Football history full stop. There have been more important victories, certainly, but I can’t think of a game where the Men’s senior team has beaten a team ranked 18 or higher. If they had, I’m sure it would have led the television news, right?

___________________________________________________________________________________

Well, 18th in the women's rankings translates arguably to about 40th or 50th in the men's rankings as there are far fewer strong teams in women's football - many countries have no women's national team or place no emphasis on it (esp. true in most Asian and Muslim countries).

Remember the All Whites beat Serbia in a pre-World Cup friendly in 2010 when Serbia were ranked 15th.

They had the occasional outstanding result before then such as thrashing Mexico 4-0 in a 1980 friendly under John Adshead (there were no world rankings back then, but Mexico were a highly-rated team).

The All Whites also beat the then African champions Ghana 2-0 in 1983.

The All Whites pulled off some great away draws in the past too such as 2-2 against Uruguay in Uruguay weeks before Uruguay won the Copa America in 1995, 1-1 against Scotland in Edinburgh 2003 and 2-2 against Wales at Wrexham 2007.

All All Whites' A-international results here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand_national_football_team_results

THE NZ WOMEN'S TEAM have had more significant wins in the past than this week's China result: they were Oceania champions twice while Australia were part of Oceania - winning the tournaments in 1983 and 1991 (and losing the final in '89 to Taipei, beating Australia along the way). So those victories over Australia are arguably our greatest women's results, considering they were tournament wins and Australia have always been pretty highly ranked in women's football. Our 1991 OFC Championship win over Australia also qualified us for that year's FIFA Women's World Cup at the expense of Australia. NZ were dominant over Australia 1975- 1994.

See "Ultimate NZ Soccer" link below for full list of Football Ferns A internationals. Between 1975 (women's national team debut) and 1994 they had many outstanding results. This was no doubt because women's football wasn't professional then internationally and NZ was a world-leader in giving women sporting opportunities. However, it's been pretty lean pickings since 1994 on the whole...

v Australia      1975-1994:          P:20     W:9     D:5     L:6  

v USA                won 1-0      15/12/87 (Taipei World Invitational)

v Switzerland       won 3-0     14/10/81 (Taipaei World Invitational)

                           won 3-0     8/12/84   (Taipei World Invitational) 

v Netherlands     won 2-0      22/10/81  (Taipei World Invitational)

v Norway          won  4-0      19/10/81  (Taipei World Invitational)

v Canada          won   1-0        20/12/87 (Taipei World Invitational)

See:

http://www.ultimatenzsoccer.com/FootballFerns/id40.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OFC_Women's_Championship

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1991_FIFA_Women%27s_World_Cup_qualification#Oceania_.28OFC.29

I've got the MySky set to record this, will have to try hard to avoid all the gossip on the streets of Wellington about the result in this game until I get home.

There's going to be a story on The Crowd Goes Wild tonight about the Football Ferns, James McOnie doing the reporting so it should be amusing.

whoo hoo, 1 nil up!

Guess our womens team don't get the new kit

Any more news?

Half time, 1 nil.

China have come back into the game,  3 shots v 2 shots on goal to us we've had more balls in the penalty area.  hasn't been the best game to watch so far. 

Cheers O6!

C'mon Ferns!/Zhonguo dui, JIA YOU!

(I'm so confused)

2nd half just underway.  One change to football ferns, Wilkinson comes on for Kete.

This game reminds me of the All Whites in Honiara, scoring early then holding on for the win

Well we won, but a draw probably would have been a fair result.

CGW video here http://www.skysport.co.nz/video/general/crowd-goes-wild/cgw-football-ferns-61560/

Ali Riley. Ba-doom-tish!

*clapping emoticon* - if we had one

CGW on the Ferns now

Pretty amazing Amber Hearn set a new NZ women's team goalscoring record (30 goals) with such a great goal. About the best NZ women's goal I've ever seen... well, I haven't seen that many.... but that would have been an all-time best contender even for the All Whites...

Re-live it here:

http://www.skysport.co.nz/video/football/headlines/football-ferns-hearns-wonder-goal-61570/

Could anyone tell me what the olympic womens football side are like compared to the senior team?

Seems like they might have a slightly better shot at London, given that they seem to be playing well currently and that the men have to play a very strong Brazil team.

Women's football at the Olympics is the full senior side, not an age group comp.

Yeah, our women seem to have more of a chance of getting results. Although it's going to be tough playing the hosts GB in the opening game of the whole Olympics and we are playing Brazil who are equally tough in women's football. May have more of a chance against the Cameroons. We've been close in our results against England in women's football at senior and youth level in recent years.

I think the Football Ferns have moved up a level from previous NZ women's sides because so many play in some of the world's top women's professional leagues e.g. six played the season just past in what is now the best women's league in the world the Women's Bunesliga in Germany (the US women's league announced a one year break last December but has since announced last month it is folding completely - too many debts etc.). Two play in Sweden, another strong pro league, three in the English Women's Premier League.

Click on this thread for more info on the Football Ferns and the leagues they play in:

http://www.yellowfever.co.nz/forums/kiwi-players-overseas/kiwi-women-overseas

and here:

http://www.ultimatenzsoccer.com/FootballFerns/id11.htm

Our most prominant players with overseas clubs:

ENGLAND:

Aroon Clansey - Liverpool

Hayley Moorwood - Chelsea Katie Rood - Lincoln City

GERMANY: Anna Green - Lokomotiv Leipzig,  Sarah Gregorius - SC Bad Neuenahr,  Amber Hearn - USV Jena

Katie Hoyle - SC Bad Neuenahr,  Ria Percival - USV Jena (transferred from FFC Frankfurt) Rebecca Smith - VFL Wolfsburg

SWEDEN:

Ali Riley - Malmo FF Kirsty Yallop - Vittsjo GIK

Of note: All our players in Germany and Sweden have been playing regularly for their clubs this year. Rebecca Smith's Wolfsburg were runners-up in the Women's Bundesliga and so qualified for the UEFA Women's Champions League next season. Ria Percival played in this years Women's Champions Lge Final at the Olympic Stadium in Munich (crowd 50,000) where Frankfurt lost to French champions Lyon.

Vittsjo and Malmo are currently second and third in the Swedish women's league (but both on same points as the leaders) which runs till November.

Ali Riley won the last edition of the top US women's pro league with Western New York Flash in Nov. last year where she appeared regularly with Brazil legend Marta (in the current Brazil squad and considered one of the best women's players of all time). Marta's now playing in Sweden against two of our Football Ferns.

Game on tomorrow isn't it? If so, I might pop down. Anyone know when KO is?

FB says 15:00, that'll be it then..

FOOTBALL FERNS V AUSTRALIA 3PM TODAY DINGO TIME (5PM NZ TIME)

Predictably no TV coverage I think...

Ruddy hell !!! The Football Ferns get seven build-up matches to London, the Oly Whites a bare three !!! Luxury...

That's the two against China, two v Aussies, one v Japan and coach Readings mentions "five warm matches left" (incl. Two Aussie games) so don't know what the other two friendlies are. 

SEE:

http://www.nzfootball.co.nz/index.php?id=11&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=1716&tx_ttnews[backPid]=10&cHash=aff4d7f0e5

Swedish based professionals Ali Riley and Kirsty Yallop have returned to Europe for club duty...

 “On this tour there will be opportunities handed to players who didn’t play much, or at all, against China.

“We are serious about becoming a team that is capable of winning six games at the Games and winning a gold medal.

“Earning back-to-back wins over China, and needing to draw on different qualities to achieve the wins over a nation we’d never beaten, were important steps in that process.

“There’s five warm up matches left and we must improve in every one of those.”
Riley’s absence should see German-based fullback Anna Green enjoy more game time while Annalie Longo and Betsy Hassett appear the front runners to fill Yallop’s boots in midfield after being used off the bench against China. Holly Patterson and Katie Bowen who have both played in defence and midfield for New Zealand should also see some action as they push for Olympic places.

Hannah Wilkinson and Rebecca Smith had their on-field minutes restricted against China as medical staff managed their recovery from injury but could both see more time against Australia.

Readings is expecting a more physical approach from the Australians and while he says he may tinker with formations in the upcoming matches he is backing the Ferns new possession-based style of play to reap rewards.

“We’re adopting a style that gives us more opportunities to win matches against a variety of teams and the long-term payoff will be worth it.”
The first test kicks off on Sunday at 5pm New Zealand time.

Football Ferns v Australia
June 24
WIN Stadium, Wollongong, Australia
3pm (5pm NZT)

Football Ferns v Australia
June 27
Wollongong, Australia
12.30pm (2.30pm NZT)

New Zealand (from): 1-Jenny BINDON (GK), 2-Ria PERCIVAL, 3-Anna GREEN, 4-Katie HOYLE, 5-Abbey ERCEG, 6-Rebecca SMITH (captain), 8-Hayley MOORWOOD, 9-Amber HEARN, 10-Sarah GREGORIUS, 12-Betsy HASSETT, 13-Rebekah STOTT, 14-Holly PATTE