image.png16.47 KB We're currently 33rd, looking at the last WC pots there's a genuine danger we drop to Pot 4 by the time the WC gets drawn; the cut-off point will probably be higher as Mexico and North Korea should qualify this time. Also, sides like Nigeria and the Philippines have moved up.
I think something that's been missed in all this is that it's Aussie.
That's our arch rivals right there, and friendly game or whatever, you have to fight and battle and give 100% and at least make them work for it.
Tonight we copped two early-ish goals to let them into cruise control, then basically rolled over in the second half.
We treat friendlies like squad building games where results and performances don't matter, but it's our only opportunity for competition apart from tournaments. And why is it so different to the mens side who very much takes friendlies seriously?
Mayne saying we gave them three goals (with mistakes). Basically take those out and it is 2-0. Yeah nah, making three f ups does define you and will be punished if they are bad (I ain’t seen game). Also said we had chances we didn’t take (and they scored at other end)?
Mayne saying we gave them three goals (with mistakes). Basically take those out and it is 2-0. Yeah nah, making three f ups does define you and will be punished if they are bad (I ain’t seen game). Also said we had chances we didn’t take (and they scored at other end)?
Mayne saying we gave them three goals (with mistakes). Basically take those out and it is 2-0. Yeah nah, making three f ups does define you and will be punished if they are bad (I ain’t seen game). Also said we had chances we didn’t take (and they scored at other end)?
It's a similar logic to Chiefy. Part of the reason those mistakes happen is because we are on the back foot and defending most of the game. Acting like you can just flick a switch eliminate those types of mistakes, especially with lower quality defenders than the opposition attack, is just a cop out.
At 2-0 down the Ferns had a few chances to make it 2-1, but then bang bang its 4-0. They were just outclassed
Top WSL and Bundesliga players verus ours from the ALW and Scandi leagues
The Ferns were always on a hiding to nothing against one of the top couple of teams (their only competition for the title of best being Japan) in Asia. I was predicting a 5-0 loss, so nothing surprised me. It was similar to a Premier League club fielding their top side against a League One side in the FA Cup. You'd expect a rout. The Matildas squad had 16 players from the world's six top women's leagues. (Eleven from the English Women's Super League alone, two from the US league, one from the Bundesliga, one from the French, one from the Italian). We had one (Kate Taylor, Dijon, France). I rate as the world's six best women's leagues: English, US, Spanish, German, French and Italian leagues ( in that order). The UEFA women's association coefficient also has those five European countries as the top five in UEFA but ranks them differently to me because it is purely based on club performances in UEFA club comps - which is misleading since some of those leagues have a handful of very strong sides (e.g. Spain) while the overall league standard is not as strong (e.g. Spain compared to England). UEFA coefficient ranking: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UEFA_coefficient#Women's_association_coefficient The French league is stronger than the Italian in women's football. The Italian federation started their first national women's league only in 2018-19 (fully pro only from 2022-23), previously an amateur comp, outside the auspices of the Italian fed.
Maybe I'm missing something but why is Longo still around and captaining the team? Isn't she retired from pro football hence not playing for the Nix?
We had no midfield. Longo, Chance and Hassett are surely not the way forward, not sure why they are there. I know Steinmetz and Fraser are not available, but somehow we have to develop some midfielders.
Bowen and Stott are shoe ins, which will improve the defence. Barry not selected either - she has to be better than Anton, as is Bunge. Lake and Van Der Meer are better options than Anton and Moore.
Alot of it around Sam Kerr's first matches in Australia since the 2023 WC. She didn't get on last night.
And let’s not even get started on the stark difference in marketing between this Ferns series vs Australia and the All Whites vs Socceroos a couple months ago
At 2-0 down the Ferns had a few chances to make it 2-1, but then bang bang its 4-0. They were just outclassed
Top WSL and Bundesliga players verus ours from the ALW and Scandi leagues
Only one goal was a moment of real class. The rest were poor defending or mistakes on our part.
Only goal I’ve seen is a cracker from thrifty yards but the interesting thing is the twenty yards between our lines she’s was in with the defence retreating
A lot of it around Sam Kerr's first matches in Australia since the 2023 WC. She didn't get on last night.
For all the Aussie crowd were vocally behind the Tillies last night, I’d imagine there were plenty who were disappointed not to see Kerr come on - every time they announced a substitution you could almost feel the anticipation.
Fingers crossed she comes off the bench in Adelaide! (Not great for us but still it would be epic to see one of the world’s best in action.)
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…
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…
Yep, so I’ll be properly attired for Adelaide and if the stars align will have the banner up.
Sounds like not many of our East coast regulars are able to make it there, so hopefully I’ll meet a whole new crowd of expat kiwis hiding out in SA!
Yes very odd that Bott had a spell not being selected when she was clearly one of the first names that should have been on the team sheet and now Stott and Bowen out of the squad.
When we had the likes of Wellington club players being selected for the Ferns say 8 years ago I felt we could not be world class with our skills but nothing to stop our players being world class with their fitness.
It has definitely improved, but I still reckon the fitness levels of our players could improve when we compare our squad with Aussie.
It does seem to come down to that Aussie mentality of being super competitive that gives them a big edge.
I did like the team selections as a whole from the last game. Bott added great aggression to the left side. Hahn was great I thought. I feel no point in choosing Longo now, if we get beaten with or without her let Wisnewski or Even Bott at defensive mid get the experience.
I thought In attack we need to vary the crosses more. Not going to win many headers against their defence. Mix in some cut backs like they did for their last goal.
If we can build on the positive intent to create chances and reduce mistakes and cover better for each other with more intensity we could score and get a closer result. Fenix
LT01
Maybe I'm missing something but why is Longo still around and captaining the team? Isn't she retired from pro football hence not playing for the Nix?
We had no midfield. Longo, Chance and Hassett are surely not the way forward, not sure why they are there. I know Steinmetz and Fraser are not available, but somehow we have to develop some midfielders.
Bowen and Stott are shoe ins, which will improve the defence. Barry not selected either - she has to be better than Anton, as is Bunge. Lake and Van Der Meer are better options than Anton and Moore.
But it’s odd still selecting someone who is retiring, and then leaving out two of your best most experienced players. What’s the point
Also odd that Longo has been playing for Auckland United in the second half of the season, so by playing in Australia is missing the National League Grand Final.
Tuesdays game could sure be interesting. Hopefully the criticism can be used as fuel to hit back and actually earn us some respect. Show we're better than that and that we have standards, and that we can still push for a result against decent teams like Aussie.
If it's a repeat of the first game, we have a crisis on our hands.
Ummmmm. Surely Stott (and Bowen) are good enough to be picked. Has a bit of whiff of a player verus coach power struggle about it all. Stuff sadly all to familiar when we are talking about the Ferns.
Michael Mayne was of course an assistant with Klimkova, so all too aware of the issues inside the Ferns during Jitka's weird reign.
Another heavy loss on Tuesday and gotta be some question marks around Mayne, especially re this non selection matter of Stott and Bowen. Remembering it was 3 losses without a goal (GF 0 & GA 9) recently in North America as well.
Stott's getting focus since these games are in Aus but Katie Bowen's the more egregious absence - she's our highest performing player at club level right now
Meanwhile a semi-retired Annalie Longo has been in every squad this year (justifiably... but very weird in this context)
Football Ferns captain Annalie Longo will retire from international football after tomorrow night's game against the Matildas. Longo has played 143 games for New Zealand since making her debut as a 15-year-old and attended five FIFA Women's World Cups. https://t.co/xxwLE7mBko
Bowen's a fantastic player - should be in. Although she is very good at running the ball out of defence, Stott has no pace - shouldn't be in. And as soon as she was retired from club football, that should have been it for Longo.
I'd love to say that a lot of the FFs deserve to be dropped, because they do, but the talent pool is incredibly shallow.....so what do you do?
Personally would like to see a Ferns v U23 Ferns game - against international opposition we seem to lean on excuses, but interally we can amp that pressure up on our players. Senior players - challenge them to put on a display and prove they're still a class above, Younger players - prove that they're ready to make the next step and can take the places of the senior players.
Or we can just get bollocked by Australia/USA/Japan again.
You only deserve to be dropped if there is someone better to take your place.
Looking a bit bleak re the women's game at the moment.
U17 & U20 teams really struggling at their world cups. Futsal Ferns very outclassed at their WC - and what the women's game badly needs is some highly technical, fast passing, creative players. Football Ferns as always struggling to create much against high class USA, Australia and even Mexico.
Need that Auckland ALW side up and running, to bring in an extra talent pathway.
Plus hopefully our two best young talents in Clegg and Fraser (both promising enough to be signed by NWSL clubs), can eventually fulfil some of that promise.
