Kirsty Yallop has been such a fixture in the New Zealand women’s squad over the bulk of the last decade that it seems hard to believe that this will be her first FIFA Women’s World Cup Finals. But Germany 2011 will indeed mark her debut on the ultimate stage in women’s football, the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury she sustained on Anzac Day 2007 having denied her the chance to play in China later that year. Four years on, and it’s been touch and go as to whether or not ‘KY’ would have the chance to play in these Finals, following an injury to the same knee late last year. "It happened after the World Cup qualifiers - it could have been 2007 all over again in that regard, ‘cause I did my ACL just after we had qualified for China. "Given it was the same knee, I wasn’t sure how bad it was, but I know the timing of it was a bit frustrating, ‘cause it meant I missed out on the Peace Queen Cup games against Korea Republic and England. "I had it assessed, and discovered it would take up to eight weeks to heal after surgery. The only problem with that was I had to wait 7-8 weeks for the surgery to take place, due to the new ACC rules". Cue more frustration for Kirsty, with the surgery taking place just before Christmas, and the recovery process which followed meaning she was borderline fitness-wise for this year’s Cyprus Cup tournament as well. The Football Ferns’ bubbly blonde beat the odds, though, and played in all four games, scoring the winner in the only game she started, against Switzerland, coincidentally the team’s lone victory so far this year. Numerous substitute appearances during and since the Cyprus Cup suggest that gremlins were still in the works, but as Kirsty confirms, that wasn’t the case at all. "It probably took a little bit longer because I had my ACL injury in the same knee, so it was prudent to be cautious for that reason. "I knew it was going to be a tight call to be fit for the World Cup, but it wasn’t as bad as last time - the ACL injury is definitely the worst injury I’ve ever had! However, I’m nearly back to 100%, and by the time we arrive in Germany it should be good to go

for the World Cup". "I knew it was going to be a tight call to be fit for the World Cup, but it wasn’t as bad as last time - the ACL injury is definitely the worst injury I’ve ever had! However, I’m nearly back to 100%, and by the time we arrive in Germany it should be good to go for the World Cup". There’s no disguising the relief in Kirsty’s voice when she says those words, having been denied the chance to grace this stage in 2007. Needless to say, she’s keen to make up for lost time - Japan, England, Mexico et al, beware! "I’ve got to get into our starting line-up first!" laughs the lively number eleven. "That’s my first objective, so I can do my job for the team. Following on from that, I hope to be performing at my best, scoring a couple of goals and creating some as well. "My overall ambition for this World Cup is for us to be a winning team, so we make the quarter-finals. Then we’ll see how far we can go from there". It will be a proud moment for Kirsty when she earns her fiftieth cap for her country, a feat she is almost certain to accomplish on this tour, given there are three warm-up matches in Switzerland prior to the Finals. Currently the tenth most capped player in the history of the New Zealand women’s team, she is also tied for eighth on the all-time scoring list, her tally of eleven goals putting her on a par with two of the code’s legendary players, Monique Van de Elzen and Amanda Crawford. Seeing Kirsty climb both those tables during this Finals campaign is bound to benefit the Football Ferns’ cause, as is what she has lined up after Germany 2011, although she won’t have to travel far to accomplish it. "I’m heading back to Sweden for the second half of the Damallsvenskan season, which kicks off in late July. I’ll be playing for a new club, too. I’m transferring from Kristianstads DFF to Vittsjo GIK". But not half as much as she is to finally get the chance to play on the ultimate stage in the women’s game. Just as she did when scoring the Football Ferns’ first goal at the 2008 Olympic Games, expect Kirsty Yallop to do her team and her country proud at Germany 2011.