Football Ferns v Iceland 8th April 1am Sky Sport | and Nigeria 12th April 1am Sky Sport

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/world-cup/131690705/not-the-ideal-situation-english-relegation-battle-injury-for-cj-bott-hinders-football-ferns

https://www.newsroom.co.nz/lockerroom/football-ferns-centurion-on-urgent-scoring-quest

Lose both these games and morale will slump even further. Though games at 1am NZ time over an Easter weekend, will be a blessing if they go badly - missed by most sports fans.

Rollo's preferred starting XI - Esson, Riley, Stott (CB), Bunge, Foster, Indiah-Paige Riley, Bowen (CM), Steinemtz, Hand, Chance, Jale

Voerman's preferred starting XI - Esson, Riley, Bowen (CB), Bunge, Foster, Indiah-Paige Riley, Stott (CM), Steinemtz, Hand, Chance, Jale

So only difference, is where they put Stott & Bowen. Percival, Bott & Longo all unavailable. Both plump for Foster to start, the only Nix player in their starting XIs.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/world-cup/131697114/the-starting-lineups-wed-like-to-see-as-the-football-ferns-take-on-iceland-and-nigeria

coochiee

Lose both these games and morale will slump even further. Though games at 1am NZ time over an Easter weekend, will be a blessing if they go badly - missed by most sports fans.

Rollo's preferred starting XI - Esson, Riley, Stott (CB), Bunge, Foster, Indiah-Paige Riley, Bowen (CM), Steinemtz, Hand, Chance, Jale

Voerman's preferred starting XI - Esson, Riley, Bowen (CB), Bunge, Foster, Indiah-Paige Riley, Stott (CM), Steinemtz, Hand, Chance, Jale

So only difference, is where they put Stott & Bowen. Percival, Bott & Longo all unavailable. Both plump for Foster to start, the only Nix player in their starting XIs.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/world-cup/131697114/the-starting-lineups-wed-like-to-see-as-the-football-ferns-take-on-iceland-and-nigeria

I won't be watching the Iceland game. Sorry but probably not worth losing sleep for. So indeed, it may be a blessing for these games to be more out of the limelight. 

Yeah can't bring myself to bother with this one. Good luck though.

Stott & Bowen as the CBs. Hassett in midfield, presumably deeper than she has played for the Nix lately.

Be interesting to hear how Jale & Hand go, and does Clegg get any mins.

Mōrena Aotearoa, welcome to Türkiye 🇹🇷

Here is how we start vs @footballiceland

📺 Watch live on @skysportnz

#NZLvISL 🇳🇿🇮🇸 pic.twitter.com/LV07BmdQnL

— New Zealand Football (@NZ_Football) April 7, 2023

Together, let’s go 🌿🖤🤍 pic.twitter.com/mrfFGDRK0k

— New Zealand Football (@NZ_Football) April 7, 2023

Yes Hannah! 1-1

You all are missing a positive game from the Ferns. Esson in goal has given the defence more confidence. Stott has been immense with interceptions and winning the ball. Foster has been very good as well, won the corner we scored on. Jale and Chance have had good opportunities. Steinmetz doing well in midfield too. Hand, Stott and Esson have done very well coming in. Foster as well should keep her spot. Bott to come into the starting lineup. We have some serious competition to start if we get Ria back. Chance gone down with a knee injury- hopefully not too bad just on halftime. 

Cleverly on for Chance for second half, Hassett moves to left mid. No ball boys or girls for the game?? Their right mid has a weapon of a long throw they scored from this while Wilkinson was off with a blood nose. Our 442 seems pretty solid. Lots of pressing in the first half forcing them to play long and often we won the aerial balls and the second phase balls too. 

Yeah, woke up from a shark sleep and watched the second half - some really good play. Errors crept in over the last ten minutes but a much better watch than most of the games here earlier in the year. 

A solid performance from the Ferns to draw, could have gone either way, Iceland had two great chances they couldn’t score from- blasted over in the first half and Esson with a foot out to deflect for a corner when pretty much 1:1 in second half. Subs were Satchell for Wilkinson, Bunge for Stott, Neville for ARiley, and Clegg for her debut on for Hand on the 85th minute plus 3 mins of injury time. Was wearing a thigh bandage so hopefully not carrying any serious niggles. Kept with the 442 the whole game. Was pretty scrappy the last 15-20 minutes. We missed having Hasset in the middle and Chance out wide, we didn’t keep possession as well then. But overall probably our best performance of the year against a stronger level of opposition than Korea was last year. 

If Esson gets injured we are no chance. Shes our hope of getting results.

Whats the point in giving Clegg 4 mins at the end? do we know if she can cope at international level? do the coaches know anymore than they did before boarding the plane??? absolute shaaaark coaching. Its a friendly give players a proper run. Token subs are dumb.

A draw is a result and many are celebrating that but can you be a set play team at International level? maybe you can i dunno but in open play we look miles off it. I personally think we need more from this group and coaching staff.

I think an issue going forward is the fact Neville is a better player than Riley.

OK performance but that's all.
Fosters first start,but it looked like she was the one who had played 100 games. Apart from her excellent corners and crosses,we were feeding off scraps,and it was pretty uninspiring.
Both sides formulaic and quite dull, but Iceland had the better chances and should certainly have scored more. 
Lord knows why Satchell came on before Clegg, that was all pretty pointless. Better off investing in the future rather than Satchell who traps it further than I can kick it. Esson had a vital save at the end which makes the end result much better than it would have looked otherwise.

overall not a bad performance from the ferns, good to have almost all our top players back. Defensively we looked ok, excluding the long throw that lead to tge goal we maaged Iceand's attack ok.
Being a team that plays for corners or free kicks isnt a bad tactic. We have the height with Jale and Wilkenson, and the set piece taker in Foster that can almost guarantee a good ball into the box. It's a tactic that has worked for many teams. If we can secure a goal via a set piece every game then we know we are gonna be in the mix, knick one more from open play and we may actually win a game. In a tournament setting anything can happen. Knowing where our goals are gonna come from is important.

Showtime Nixie

If Esson gets injured we are no chance. Shes our hope of getting results.

Whats the point in giving Clegg 4 mins at the end? do we know if she can cope at international level? do the coaches know anymore than they did before boarding the plane??? absolute shaaaark coaching. Its a friendly give players a proper run. Token subs are dumb.

A draw is a result and many are celebrating that but can you be a set play team at International level? maybe you can i dunno but in open play we look miles off it. I personally think we need more from this group and coaching staff.

I think an issue going forward is the fact Neville is a better player than Riley.

Hell after those 3 terrible losses without a goal in NZ recently, you have to be a bit happy about a 1-1 draw. Great to see Foster get the assist, she will start to really be believing she belongs at this level.

Nigeria won't be easy. They have some gun striker who plays at Barcelona. Only lost to the USA 2-1 in a game September last year. Sort of result Ferns can only dream about. Nigerians play Haiti tonight.

Oh & Matildas lost 1-0 to Scotland in London. Scots didn't qualify for WWC.
Aussies rested a few players (incl Sam Kerr) for big game against England on Tuesday.

Hannah Wilkinson’s header to earn the draw vs Iceland 🇳🇿

🎥 @skysportnz pic.twitter.com/3o9IjpFW4P

— New Zealand Football (@NZ_Football) April 7, 2023

▪︎ The return of Vic Esson, Jacqui Hand and Rebekah Stott
▪︎ Hannah Wilkinson's goal
▪︎ Mickey Foster's first start
▪︎ Milly Clegg making her debut

We got Jitka's thoughts after the 1-1 draw with Iceland in Turkey. pic.twitter.com/yubYbAKfPF

— New Zealand Football (@NZ_Football) April 7, 2023

https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2023/04/07/world/friendly-women/new-zealand/iceland/4056698/

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/world-cup/131672605/hannah-wilkinson-breaks-goal-drought-as-football-ferns-draw-with-iceland

Best on pitch
Foster – in her first Ferns start – with Hand – in her first Ferns appearance since last September – a close second. They were at the heart of many of the Ferns’ best attacking moments and will have gone a long way to securing starting spots for the World Cup opener against Norway at Eden Park in Auckland on July 20.

The big picture
While the Ferns’ ultimately lacked end product once again, this was still their strongest performance since their win over the Philippines last September. The key now is for them to build on it next week against world No 42 Nigeria. They will also be hoping Chance’s injury isn’t serious.

Klimkova saying Milly Clegg doesnt look out of place at this level is comical - how can she know after giving her only 3 minutes. We are a team that barely scores any goals at all. Chuck her in next game and see what she can do - us fans want to see a striker finding the net or being dangerous to oppositions. We've put up with crap for too long. Klimkova is on another planet in her interviews. 

Showtime Nixie

Klimkova saying Milly Clegg doesnt look out of place at this level is comical - how can she know after giving her only 3 minutes. We are a team that barely scores any goals at all. Chuck her in next game and see what she can do - us fans want to see a striker finding the net or being dangerous to oppositions. We've put up with crap for too long. Klimkova is on another planet in her interviews. 

 Well I imagine she's seen her in training?

Showtime Nixie

Klimkova saying Milly Clegg doesnt look out of place at this level is comical - how can she know after giving her only 3 minutes. We are a team that barely scores any goals at all. Chuck her in next game and see what she can do - us fans want to see a striker finding the net or being dangerous to oppositions. We've put up with crap for too long. Klimkova is on another planet in her interviews. 

This happens always in football. It gives Clegg the experience of traveling, living, training with the team and warming up and playing (ie the full experience, in terms of preparation) without having the pressure and expectation of playing well.
 
Complete a couple passing make a few runs, not feel out of place and build confidence, gain her first cap.

I feel from that starting 11, depending on how Chance returns after her injury, Bott definitely comes into the 11, and it possibly is Steinmetz that drops to the bench. Foster has to start, she got done for pace a couple of times by their most dangerous player- but also Riley and Neville and others who didn’t start also would have struggled against her pace. That means Riley gets to play on her natural right side, and maybe Bott or Bowen goes into Centre mid with Hasset. Hand and Jale and Chance looked our most dangerous and Wilkinson is a great option like Chris Wood at both ends of the pitch - possibly we don’t concede that goal if she wasn’t getting attention for a bloody nose. Good also to have Leat as backup for Esson too, with Naylor to push them. Makes sense to give Clegg her first cap, get that pressure out of the way, I’m sure she would stand out in training and Jitka and her team of coaching can judge how she compares to Satchell, Paige-Riley and Rennie. 

Nelfoos

Showtime Nixie

Klimkova saying Milly Clegg doesnt look out of place at this level is comical - how can she know after giving her only 3 minutes. We are a team that barely scores any goals at all. Chuck her in next game and see what she can do - us fans want to see a striker finding the net or being dangerous to oppositions. We've put up with crap for too long. Klimkova is on another planet in her interviews. 

 Well I imagine she's seen her in training?

lol training? come on. 

Unused sub

I feel from that starting 11, depending on how Chance returns after her injury, Bott definitely comes into the 11, and it possibly is Steinmetz that drops to the bench. Foster has to start, she got done for pace a couple of times by their most dangerous player- but also Riley and Neville and others who didn’t start also would have struggled against her pace. That means Riley gets to play on her natural right side, and maybe Bott or Bowen goes into Centre mid with Hasset. Hand and Jale and Chance looked our most dangerous and Wilkinson is a great option like Chris Wood at both ends of the pitch - possibly we don’t concede that goal if she wasn’t getting attention for a bloody nose. Good also to have Leat as backup for Esson too, with Naylor to push them. Makes sense to give Clegg her first cap, get that pressure out of the way, I’m sure she would stand out in training and Jitka and her team of coaching can judge how she compares to Satchell, Paige-Riley and Rennie. 

Ria Percival will definitely come in as well. Hassett I'm guessing to drop out. Percival sounds like she is very close to returning to action with Spurs in the English WSL. 

Problem is that there is only 5 rounds left in the WSL. So where can Percival play to get proper match fit for the WWC starting in July?  A short term gig in the American NWSL?

Longo more of longshot as returns from her own bad knee injury.

And with Clegg, she was always unlikely to be a WWC saviour. Can see from her Nix games she still has alot to learn there, let alone the senior international scene which is a big step up. But is annoying that Klimkova didn't bring her in earlier for a look, with the USA games in January or Portugal/Argentina games in March. Klimkova gave game time to a host of players in that USA series, many of whom ain't anywhere near the WWC squad.

Now that Wilkinson has scored and broken her drought, hard to see Clegg getting many mins in lead up to the WWC. The Ferns badly need results (wins/draws) for their confidence - so unless it's late on & they are losing I don't see Clegg getting much action. She's there to learn for now.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/world-cup/131726158/michaela-fosters-strong-first-start-shows-wellington-phoenix-have-helped-football-ferns

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/world-cup/131725188/why-jitka-klimkovs-football-ferns-need-a-wayne-smithtype-boost-for-world-cup

Showtime Nixie

Nelfoos

Showtime Nixie

Klimkova saying Milly Clegg doesnt look out of place at this level is comical - how can she know after giving her only 3 minutes. We are a team that barely scores any goals at all. Chuck her in next game and see what she can do - us fans want to see a striker finding the net or being dangerous to oppositions. We've put up with crap for too long. Klimkova is on another planet in her interviews. 

 Well I imagine she's seen her in training?

lol training? come on. 

You dont think how well a player does in training has any impact? Or you don't think Klimkova looks at their training? Or you don't believe Clegg trains?

The only way to know if a player is up to international level is seeing them in a game. and not 3 mins in a game when clock is being run down by both teams. 

Any word on Liv Chance knee injury? 

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/world-cup/131690796/key-football-ferns-trio-make-first-appearances-of-world-cup-year-in-draw-with-iceland

Showtime Nixie

The only way to know if a player is up to international level is seeing them in a game. and not 3 mins in a game when clock is being run down by both teams. 

I agree. I can see the point of blooding Clegg with no pressure, but on the other hand there are limited opportunities before the world cup. I would have brought her on instead of satchell for sure, a bit of a run against a team like Iceland wouldn't have done any harm.

Who was the comments person for the broadcast of the game? Just as well I did not get up in the middle of the night to watch as she would have put me back to sleep.

whatever

Who was the comments person for the broadcast of the game? Just as well I did not get up in the middle of the night to watch as she would have put me back to sleep.

I'm afraid I mute the lot of them. They talk too much.

whatever

Who was the comments person for the broadcast of the game? Just as well I did not get up in the middle of the night to watch as she would have put me back to sleep.

Both of them were awful but that women, whoever she is, is one of the worst commentators I've ever heard. Sounds completely uninterested and barely makes sense. Does she not know that you have to sound awake at least to commentate? Surely nz football could find literally anyone better and more insightful than that?