Canada 2 Reaction

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Canada 2 Reaction

“Reality Check” Adds To Experience For Kiwi Women

by Jeremy Ruane

It's been an interesting few weeks for the New Zealand women's squad, highlighted, of course, by the outcomes in the home international series against the University of North Carolina and Canada.

There have been some frustrations along the way, of course. The theft of laptops from coach John Herdman's car after the UNC clash didn't aid preparations at all, while upon returning to their base after the second Canadian encounter, six of the squad discovered their rooms had been broken into and everything taken.

Further, the cancellation of the two-match tour of Australia in July, due to a variety of reasons, has prompted a change of plan in the preparations for the Women's World Cup Finals, with a couple of training camps in July and the prospect of securing a couple of internationals en route to China making up for the lost trans-Tasman series.

While the lack of match-play this month is disappointing, particularly from the players' perspective, it may not be a bad thing, given three of our foremost midfielders - Simone Carmichael, Hayley Moorwood and Kirsty Yallop - are all recovering from surgery to leg injuries of varying degrees of severity at present.

Indeed, not playing these games probably affects Australia more, as they are now quite keen to play us again, given that, having missed out on qualifying for next year's Olympics, the coming World Cup represents the Matildas' last competitive fixtures for a wee while.

Hence they're getting a tad green (and gold!) with envy across the Tasman re the opportunities which their former arch-rivals in Oceania can now enjoy. For instance, winning a two-legged play-off in Auckland against the South Pacific Games winners some time round Easter next year will secure New Zealand's passage to the Beijing Olympics.

But that is for the future - right now, more pressing matters are at hand.

The home international series was, in John Herdman's words, “a reality check for everyone. We've had the chance to see the tenth-best team in the world, to see how physical they are, to see how strong and how athletic they are”.

The Canadians were certainly that. While NZ was well worth a draw against the UNC squad - the visitors notched a late winner in the one-goal game, it was Even Pellerud's team who brought home to New Zealand the benefits of a regular diet of up to fifteen “A” internationals per year, every year.

To put that into perspective, Canada's annual tally of matches - fifteen - is the same number of cap-earning fixtures New Zealand contested between November 1998 and October 2006 … and that lack of experience was exposed, particularly on the scoreboard.

“That's the reality between our team and their team”, reflects Herdman. “In the first twenty minutes of the first game, they had eight shots on goal, whereas in the second one, they had three and

scored three.

“They practice that day in, day out, twice a day, so when they get into those positions in a game, they don't hesitate - they just do it. It's natural to them, and it's a technique that they master every day. They understand that if you get half a chance, you hit the back of the net”.

Pellerud, the only coach in world football to have steered teams to a top-four finish at all four previous Women's World Cup Finals, including winning the cup as Norway's mentor in 1995, was greatly encouraged by some aspects of New Zealand's performances in both internationals.

“They want to play, they keep possession, are a good passing team and they don't give up. They're good at encouraging each other, they support each other, and keep the same style all the time, so my compliments to New Zealand for that”.

He knows from experience what New Zealand must do if they are to realise their dreams of competing against the world's best teams.

“You have to learn the hard way”, Canada's coach said after his side wrapped up the two-match series between these 2007 Women's World Cup Finalists with 3-0 and 5-0 wins at North Harbour Stadium.

“What they need to do more of is play against the best to learn from the best - be punished and learn. Be punished again and learn more. That's what we have done - that's the only way to do it”.

New Zealand is heeding that advice to the letter - they've got three matches lined up in the USA in August, including two against the reigning Olympic champions, one of which is a rare behind-closed-doors international.

Prior to that, training camps at the end of June, in mid-July and at the end of the month will offer Herdman the chance to bring in and assess a handful of players, work with the squad, and outline to them the strategy New Zealand will be employing as the countdown to China 2007 continues apace.

“We've got to work hard on the things that we're good at”, says the Geordie-born Kiwi coach. “There have been a lot of good performances over the last few weeks. I think we've seen players who have shown that they will compete, and they'll give everything to wear that silver fern - that's what we're looking for at this stage.

“We're not going to change the technical abilities of players in six or seven weeks, but what we can demand out of them is the desire, the passion and the heart to get out there and play, which is what we've seen.

“The girls showed great character to keep going when 4-0 down after 25 minutes against Canada, and it wasn't like our opponents took their foot off the pedal! They've got that experience, and at the minute, that international experience is what our players need, and we've got to keep grabbing it with two hands”.

2007 Home Internationals