2024 Football Ferns International Fixtures

To be fair the Ferns seem to spend more time with the fans (esp kids) than the AWs do when in NZ. Lots of time at ChCh schools it seems the last week. Though helps I guess that they have been based solely in one city this window - no time lost moving around.

Can’t wait to do it all again tonight! 🇳🇿🇹🇭

⚔️ vs Thailand
⏰ 7PM NZT
🏟️ Apollo Projects Stadium
🎟️ https://t.co/yTOZ6wifBR
🎥 Watch live on FIFA+ and TVNZ

See you there Ōtautahi 👊 pic.twitter.com/iT41oR96RP

— New Zealand Football 🇳🇿 (@NZ_Football) April 9, 2024

A gift for the Spelling Ref.
Without double checking I think I have 5 (3 starters & 2 reserves?)

If you can spot all five spelling mistakes in this Football Ferns squad graphic then congratulations you've won an imaginary prize of your own choosing pic.twitter.com/sW4Gv384m7

— The Niche Cache (@thenichecache) April 9, 2024

coochiee

To be fair the Ferns seem to spend more time with the fans (esp kids) than the AWs do when in NZ. Lots of time at ChCh schools it seems the last week. Though helps I guess that they have been based solely in one city this window - no time lost moving around.

Can’t wait to do it all again tonight! 🇳🇿🇹🇭

⚔️ vs Thailand
⏰ 7PM NZT
🏟️ Apollo Projects Stadium
🎟️ https://t.co/yTOZ6wifBR
🎥 Watch live on FIFA+ and TVNZ

See you there Ōtautahi 👊 pic.twitter.com/iT41oR96RP

— New Zealand Football 🇳🇿 (@NZ_Football) April 9, 2024

They've also played in more than two NZ cities...

Post-covid they've played in Auckland, Hamilton, Napier, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin. 

I guess because All Whites home games are pretty rare and more of a big ticket event, NZF always want to put them in the two main football cities.

Dunedin as well verus Swiss in the WWC.

Only 3 changes after an easy 4-0 win in the first game.

Ins - Esson, Bunge, Kitching
Outs - Leat, Stott, Paige-Riley

Note Ali Riley is back as the regular captain. Bowen as vice?  

The starting XI in Ōtautahi 🇳🇿🇹🇭

Watch live and free on FIFA+ and TVNZ 🌿

🎥 https://t.co/41pxxspdyN pic.twitter.com/6zpWScdEKU

— New Zealand Football 🇳🇿 (@NZ_Football) April 9, 2024

Arrivals 🏟️ Apollo Projects Stadium 📍 pic.twitter.com/IPS9u1s7e0

— New Zealand Football 🇳🇿 (@NZ_Football) April 9, 2024

Thailand have started better so far.  Let's go ferns! 

The pitch in CHCH looks real nice, better than most A-League grounds - you wouldn't know they've hosted both Super rugby and NRL matches there recently

Now that was more what I'm accustomed to seeing from the Ferns 😒 disappointing half after playing so well Saturday.

Can we either improve our crossing or just stop doing it? These looping crosses to nobody or to their keeper are driving me nuts

This is dire.

This has to be the most frustrating game I have ever seen.
How the referree allows it is beyond me

Thailand are time wasting and it's pathetic, but we are so toothless up front.

Well that was an entirely frustrating watch. 

Pretty dithering and laboured performance all round. Well done to Thailand on winning their Oscar for the dramatic way they threw themselves to ground at any given opportunity as well.

Talk down Thailand all you want… But we couldn’t finish for sh!t. Every player had an opportunity to score a goal and no one took it.

Well all I can say to that is at least we didn't concede in the last minutes. Jeez there could have been 20 minutes of extra time in that. Lots of times the through ball/cross came in and there was nobody there. At least this is about a big a lesson as they could get before the Olympics - just to somehow get the goal scoring mojo working.

Mikayla Moore normally buries them.
But only in her own net.
Wrong end!

Emma Pijnenburg came all the way from Netherlands to not play a minute...?!

Of course it could all be part of a very cunning plan to lure our Olympic foes into a place where they feel we're absolutely no threat at all.........OK I'm dreaming!

Mentioned this in another thread but maybe its time to let some actual kiwis manage kiwi sides.  Sound like another dire performance under Jitka.

Thailand are pants but I did worry we would play poorly against them.  I'm going to the Olympics to support the women but am fearful of what I might see.

We always struggle against a packed defence. (Philippines game comes to mind). Can't say the players didn't give it a go. Intent was good, execution and decision making at times, no so much.
And the coach is trying different things I guess.
Fraser and Kitching in midfield is new. They are both creative players that can score from midfield. Alley Green on the wing looks to have promise. 
Allowing Bowen to have a free role towards the end.
Can't blame her for continuing to pick Wikinson either, when no one else is showing a clinical edge and putting there hand up in games like this.
Result aside. Good to see games played in NZ, shame we couldn't score in this one for the local crowd. I think we probably need more games like this against Asian opposition. There our closest neighbours and more likely to travel and play here.

Despite all of Thailand's time wasting, the Ferns easily had enough opportunities to win this game. Unfortunately the finishing and/or final ball let us down time after time. There was some nice build up play though

Fair play to Thailand, but geez… 
I feel if Hand was played as striker the whole game we would have scored. Her movement is better and sharper than Wilkinson. She gets more shots away and if she wasn’t so fatigued could have scored from one of those headers. We aren’t awesome or even good at headers so why do we cross the ball in the air. 
Our attack was ponderous and one dimensional. Why can’t the full backs join in and create some overloads, get into the box and cut the ball back to the edge of the 6 yard box for some one running in to slot home. Green did a couple of these in the last ten minutes, but too little too late. Cleverley needed to come on for Steinmetz as fresh legs. Why wait until the 87th minute to get real urgent and try to force things to score. 

We don’t score from corners. 
We aren’t great in the air from crosses. 
We don’t score from long range. 
So we need to shoot from inside the box. 
Our best dribblers at taking on players 1v1 are Hand, Kitching, Fraser, Whinham who isn’t even in the squad and Paige-Riley. 
So we can either get into the box via a wall pass on the edge of the D or create 2v1s out wide. Making late runs into the box to shoot from 6-12m suits almost all our players. 
So why can’t we figure that out…

Fingers crossed Clegg is fit for the Olympics. And I would have loved to see Mouse score that late chance. 

Re AV's Olympics selection below, I'd still hope Miley Clegg can really progress, get some game time in the NWSL the next few months, and push her case. She'd probably replace Jale.

Perth (10th) were pretty poor in the ALW, but Jale's return of 3 goals in 19 games wasn't flash. Wilkinson playing at the best team yes in Melb City, but her regular season return of 9 goals in 20 games is not bad at all.

FYI - Speckmaier had 10 goals in 21 ALW games. She started both Venezuela verus Panama games this window. Full game in match one (2-0 win Venezuela) subbed off at HT in match two, a 3-0 win. Remembering Panama were at the WWC last year.

Elsewhere Colombia (in NZ's Olympics pool) beat Mexico 1-0. Mexico of course recently beating the USA for the first time.
 
 https://www.flashscore.com/match/fmotYznl/#/match-summary/match-summary

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/350238016/wasteful-football-ferns-held-0-0-draw-thailand

The big picture

The Ferns’ focus will now turn to facing opponents more in line with the three they will face at the Olympics – world No 3 France, No 9 Canada and No 23 Colombia.

When it comes to their squad for that tournament, it’s hard not to think that Leat and Esson will be the two goalkeepers; that Bott, Katie Bowen, Bunge, Ali Riley and Stott are locked in as defenders; Fraser, Annalie Longo – if fit – and Steinmetz as midfielders and Hand, Jale, Indiah-Paige Riley and Wilkinson as forwards.

That would leave four spots up for grabs and on the evidence of recent playing time, Mackenzie Barry – a centre back who can cover right back – Kate Taylor – a centre back and a central midfielder – and Kitching – a midfielder who can also play out wide – would be the favourites to claim three of them.

The other would likely be for a left back – either Michaela Foster – who could play in central midfield in a pinch – or Ally Green – who could play as a left winger, as she did impressively on Tuesday to press her case.

As usual the Facebook haters are out in force for this team despite the fact that half of them say nothing when we play well

lthomas20

As usual the Facebook haters are out in force for this team despite the fact that half of them say nothing when we play well

Well, our finishing was pathetic, and there is no excuse for not winning that game.
Can't see us scoring at the Olympics unless Fraser gets a belter
Jale hasnt impressed me.cant any of them shoot..

Fenix

lthomas20

As usual the Facebook haters are out in force for this team despite the fact that half of them say nothing when we play well

Well, our finishing was pathetic, and there is no excuse for not winning that game.
Can't see us scoring at the Olympics unless Fraser gets a belter
Jale hasnt impressed me.cant any of them shoot..

You're on the money and I don't disagree - but I've seen you comment before on the Ferns and other teams and it ain't all negative. 

Whenever the Ferns play badly like last night a whole lot of commenters I've never heard of who otherwise don't comment come out of their caves to add their two cents on how everything is terrible. 

Kitching definitely adds to the team. Given time she will be a starter. 

In terms of who we would miss the most if they were on our injured first minute of the Olympics. It would be Steinmetz for me. Taylor may get there but not yet. So we need to have cover at holding mid because they will be busy. 

And to unlock a defence to score goals… I would choose both Ally Green and Whinham. 

So we don’t need so many defensive covers. So one of Taylor or Barry goes in the 18. The third keeper and injury cover go as part of 4 replacements as per the rules etc 

https://theniche-cache.com/football/2024/4/10/football-ferns-vs-thailand-two-steps-forward-one-step-back

......Hannah Wilkinson scored nine goals during the ALW regular season which is a very respectable haul, top scoring for the minor premiers. But she scored those nine goals from 12.9 xG. First for expected goals, only tenth for actual goals. Only three players had a worse xG differential than Wilkie’s -3.9 (Princess Ibini at -5.1 and Rhianna Pollicina at -4.3).

Meanwhile Grace Jale scored three goals in her first four games for Perth Glory then failed to scored in any of her next 15. So that’s two of our front three who aren’t exactly in glowing form in front of goal. Even Jacqui Hand too. She’s been setting up goals for Lewes FC but has yet to score in eight appearances.

For that reason, combined with her direct dribbling abilities, it was a shame not to see Indi Riley stationed on a wing like she is for PSV where she’s been knocking in goals with regularity. Instead she was used in both games, same as in the OQs, as a Matt Garbett style midfield presser/dribbler. Not a bad option but the wider team balance arguably required her elsewhere.

coochiee

Watching the second half amidst a power cut added to the drama

Don't think you can do much more than shrug your shoulders at the lack of finishing in one game

It might not be new, but there's no easy fix (though it will be nice when Milly Clegg can finally play some football) https://t.co/4ae83GVM4D

— Andrew Voerman (@andrewvoerman) April 9, 2024

When was the last time Clegg had a run of games. Since she played for the Nix two seasons ago.... She only featured once for WSW this season. Before that I don't remember her playing anywhere after the WWC, where she was in the squad but didn't play. Wasn't at the OFC U19 WC qualifiers back in July.  
Must have been a frustrating period for Clegg after her season at the Nix.
She is unlikely to realistically get game time at Racing Lou for a while yet. Bit of a worry for her development.  If she does get picked for the Olympics, she certainly won't be match conditioned. Definitely won't be the messiah some people are building her up to be. No Pressure....

Yes but the training sessions alone at a USWL club will be very high standard for the female game. She will be being pushed at each training, once she's fit enough. Bit like Singh first going to Bayern Munich, and training around their big name first team players.

Plus I'm sure Racing Louisville will have a 2nd team she can play for. I'd pick her for the Olympics ahead of Jale. Lets face it against Canada, France plus Colombia it's likely 3 losses and maybe zero goals. Miley ain't the messiah but she's the future, and gives some hope for the next 10 years the Ferns may actually score against bigger teams than Thailand.

Maybe there's even room to have Hand, Jale & Willinson with Clegg all in a 18 player squad. I think Klimkova wants to pick Clegg. "We developed young players for the future" etc etc will be the one positive she can spin, if it is yes 3 goal less losses.

coochiee

Yes but the training sessions alone at a USWL club will be very high standard for the female game. She will be being pushed at each training, once she's fit enough. Bit like Singh first going to Bayern Munich, and training around their big name first team players.

Plus I'm sure Racing Louisville will have a 2nd team she can play for. I'd pick her for the Olympics ahead of Jale. Lets face it against Canada, France plus Colombia it's likely 3 losses and maybe zero goals. Miley ain't the messiah but she's the future, and gives some hope for the next 10 years the Ferns may actually score against bigger teams than Thailand.

Maybe there's even room to have Hand, Jale & Willinson with Clegg all in a 18 player squad. I think Klimkova wants to pick Clegg. "We developed young players for the future" etc etc will be the one positive she can spin, if it is yes 3 goal less losses.

Yes I agree with you. If fit Clegg should get picked for the Olympics... with an eye to the future. 
Quick google and yes it does look like Racing Lou have a second team that play in USL W league. Only a 10 games long season though, starts mid May. But that works for lead into Olympics. 
Last season they scored 42 and conceded only 4. So should be good goal scoring practice at least. 

Ranix

We always struggle against a packed defence. (Philippines game comes to mind). Can't say the players didn't give it a go. Intent was good, execution and decision making at times, no so much.
And the coach is trying different things I guess.
Fraser and Kitching in midfield is new. They are both creative players that can score from midfield. Alley Green on the wing looks to have promise. 
Allowing Bowen to have a free role towards the end.
Can't blame her for continuing to pick Wikinson either, when no one else is showing a clinical edge and putting there hand up in games like this.
Result aside. Good to see games played in NZ, shame we couldn't score in this one for the local crowd. I think we probably need more games like this against Asian opposition. There our closest neighbours and more likely to travel and play here.

Surely that would give them false confidence in their scoring abilities.