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June 2007
U-17s Prepare To Shake Australia's Tree
by Jeremy Ruane
The New Zealand U-17 women's squad step up their preparations for next year's FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup Finals this month when they take part in the Australian National Youth Championships at Coffs Harbour.
Paul Temple takes a sixteen-strong squad across the Tasman for the event in the second week of July, quietly confident that New Zealand can shake Australia's tree to the point of advancing to the semi-finals stage of the week-long event for the first time.
The Australians are already out of contention for next year's inaugural U-17 Finals, with North Korea, Japan and South Korea having secured the three places on offer to the Asian confederation's contenders.
Not that that will phase these potential future Matildas, given they'll be up against players who are set to be among those vying for the sport's newest world footballing crown.
The Kiwi girls will face some tough opposition at the Coffs Harbour International Stadium, make no mistake, as the last thing New South Wales, Northern NSW, Victoria and Western Australia want is to find themselves on the wrong end of the scoreline at New Zealand's expense!
“The squad is really looking forward to the Australian tour”, says coach Paul Temple, “as this will be the first time we take the park in competitive fixtures. So it's quite significant for the whole group.
“Hopefully it will provide us with a benchmark as to where we're at right now, and give us areas to work on. It's also good experiencing a tournament environment, as this will become important later on”.
Temple is keen to cast his eye over the extended squad prior to the Coffs Harbour tournament. “We start a five-day training camp on June 30 for 28 players, which will include a match against the NZ Universities squad.
“This camp is a great opportunity for some players to push themselves into my thinking for September and December. It's important we see the players regularly so we can monitor their progress and set them new targets”.
A top-two finish in round-robin play at Coffs Harbour will secure a semi-final on July 12 against one of the top two place-getters in the other group. This comprises New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, and the ACT-based Capital Football (not to be confused with the Wellington-based outfit of the same name).
Play-off matches for third to tenth places take place on July 13, with the tournament final scheduled for the following day, after which the New Zealand squad returns to Auckland, one of the cities which will host the biggest women's sporting event in New Zealand's history.
Like the Queen City, Hamilton (Waikato Stadium), Wellington (the Basin Reserve) and Christchurch (QE2 Stadium) have been provisionally selected to host group action at the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup Finals.
The tournament dates have been confirmed, with the opening ceremony and initial fixture - almost certain to feature the host nation - on October 30, 2008 kicking off an eighteen-day fiesta of international women's football.
Its culmination will see both semi-finals taking place in Christchurch, while the U-17 Women's World Cup Final will grace North Harbour Stadium on November 16 next year, a match which will be screened live in over 130 countries.
Over 100 countries have already confirmed they will take up the broadcasting rights for a tournament for which New Zealand's Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. Helen Clark, has been confirmed as Honorary President.
As well as the Australian National Youth Championships, the New Zealand U-17s' plans for the rest of 2007 include an Asian tour in the September school holidays, while in December, New Zealand will host the US U-17 Women's squad, prior to the annual National ID Tournament in Napier.
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