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Captain's Preview
Erceg Targets Solid Performances On Home Turf
by Jeremy Ruane
Football Ferns captain Abby Erceg was all smiles as she greeted waiting media ahead of leading her team in tri-series action against DPR Korea and Australia this week. And with good reason - she's on familiar territory for a change.
"It's always good to come home", beams New Zealand's number five, "especially when you spend a good eight months away from home. It's a little bit of a refresher, and it's nice to see people you know again, particularly your family - that would probably be the most important thing.
"But it's also good to get back to being in the Ferns training environment at home, as it's a little bit different to being outside in a professional environment. Here, we can work on things that are specific to being in the squad, whereas when you're away, it's more about strictly performance and getting results in that week".
Being in that local training environment has other benefits, besides seeing familiar faces again. "The good thing about our environment is that the coaches and staff are constantly pushing the boundaries with what they can do and what we can change.
"Coming back to train here allows some of the players who've been outside the environment a little bit of a catch-up, which is good. This pushes us all as players, as the things the locally-based squad members have been working on while we overseas-based players have been away are only going to help us all, and improve our game both individually and collectively.
"It's exciting to see what they've been working on, too, and how we can embrace that and improve around that as well. When we come together as a group, there are always new things happening, or we're implementing new tactics, or the girls have changed in their environments. It's always changing and progressing".
At the same time, there are benefits which the overseas-based contingent brings to the table, based on the experiences gained from, in Abby's case, playing for the likes of Chicago Red Stars and USV Jena, the two clubs she has played for over the course of the last twelve months.
"Playing with different teams in different countries is an advantage, and it adds to the Ferns environment when we do come together. You've got all these different strengths which each of us has brought from different teams and different countries which you can perhaps implement a little bit into the Ferns as well.
"Having different coaches seeing you out of your every-day environment is another benefit, I think, as it allows them to draw on their knowledge and experience and see things which you can add to your game as well".
While she's made 107 appearances for her country, the Football Ferns skipper is not immune to these needs. "You do have a little bit of extra responsibility as captain, but first and foremost, you have a role to fulfil in the team, and if you can't do that …
"You need to make sure that you're working on what you need to work on as well, and I'm working with the coaches to make sure that happens".
One thing these efforts are producing is results which are earning the Football Ferns increased respect among their peers on the world stage, something which Abby is rightly proud of.
"Our results speak for themselves. Our latest results, against Norway and Denmark, are huge statements, especially to the teams we're playing at the World Cup. I think we got written off a little bit when the draw came out - we weren't really mentioned.
"I think these results have sent out a little bit of a
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message to those teams as to how we're progressing. Maybe they may take a bit more of a look at us - we may be a bit more of a threat.
"We're happy that the results are coming", enthuses the 25-year-old, "but results aren't everything at the moment. Come World Cup time, they will be, but right now we've got things that we need to work on - results come second.
"If we've got the big picture in mind, and we're looking towards the World Cup and the Olympics, there are obviously things that we're going to have to work on. Thus the games in this series, plus those against Spain, the USA and Japan to come, are stepping stones for us as we look ahead to Canada in four months' time".
The matches against the North Koreans and the Matildas will see the Football Ferns gracing home turf for the final time prior to the FIFA Women's World Cup Finals in June and July.
That tournament will be played on artificial turf, which is one of the reasons why Bill McKinlay Park has been chosen to host this tri-series. The subject of playing on turf in Canada has been a bit of an issue for players the world over, with legal action having been resorted to at one stage of proceedings.
Abby chuckles when the subject is broached. "We just have to get on with it. Different teams will let it affect them more than it should, but everybody's got to play on the turf, and deal with the same conditions.
"There are a couple of changes, in terms of footwear, while when it comes to sliding tackles, you have the effects turf has on you in the back of your mind". Not that that will stop Abby from executing such a tackle should the situation arise, of course!
"Playing on turf doesn't really change how the team plays, or the tactics you employ, however. But you've got to look after your body a bit better - making sure you're not getting blisters or cramps or things like that. Other than that, we do everything exactly the same as if we were playing on grass".
That's a surface on which Ria Percival has excelled over the years. And when she takes to the field against the North Koreans, she will become the second Football Fern, after Abby, to clock up one hundred "A" international appearances for her country.
Ria's long-time team-mate is pleased to welcome a new member to the '100 Club'. "I think it's exciting. It's a bit of a testament to how the team's progressing as well.
"Obviously with the core of the group we had in 2006 progressing through" - eight players who were in the Junior Ferns squad which qualified for that year's FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Finals have been named for this tri-series - "and adapting the team over time as well, it's as much about the individual player as it is about the organisation, which I think is really cool".
It goes without saying that it would be perfect to mark this milestone with a win, but that's easier said than done against a country which won the Asian Games in 2014, beating Japan in the final.
"Obviously we'll be striving to get as close to a perfect performance as we can", says Abby, "although it probably won't happen. But with the big picture in mind, if we can get two solid performances in, regardless of the results in this series, I think we'll be quite happy".
The Football Ferns take on DPR (North) Korea from 7.30pm on Sunday evening, and Australia from 7pm on Thursday evening, while the visiting nations clash at 3.30pm on Tuesday. All games are at Bill McKinlay Park.
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