The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website | home
Preview
Experienced Junior Ferns Set Sights On Last Eight
by Jeremy Ruane
New Zealand’s Junior Ferns embark on their third successive FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Finals tournament this week with arguably the most experienced group of players ever to represent this country making up the 21-strong squad.
Tony Readings’ charges take on Sweden, North Korea and Brazil in an undeniably tough qualifying group, but captain Anna Green (left) is eager to make light of the situation. "We do have some strong opposition, but I think looking at all the groups, any group would have been tough, so we’re not too caught up in all of that jazz!
"If anything, I think we’re the best prepared we’ve ever been for a World Cup. As a team, we’re really feeling good about things. We’ve done our homework on all of our opponents and we’ve been working really hard on our fitness as well".
That was clearly evident in the Junior Ferns’ international against Switzerland in Zurich last week, when they came with a wet sail from 2-0 down to draw with their hosts, and were very unlucky not to come away with a win.
Since that match, a training game against Japan has taken place in Augsburg. The Junior Ferns’ strongest unit was on the park for forty minutes in total, and it was only after changes were made that the Asian champions started to get on top of their Oceania counterparts.
Mana Iwabuchi’s team led by a solitary goal at the conclusion of the second thirty-minute spell, and scored again in the final half-hour before wrapping up the 3-0 outcome with virtually the last kick of the game. The non-cap-earning international concluded with a penalty shoot-out, in which both nations converted four of their five spot-kicks.
From Augsburg, the Junior Ferns moved to their base in Bielefeld, where they will play their first two matches in the Finals, and will return to should they progress to the final itself.
While that may be stretching the imagination somewhat, after the All Whites’ recent efforts in South Africa, nothing can be ruled out, something which "Greenie" is hoping the Junior Ferns can capitalise upon.
"All the NZ women’s teams which have played before us so far have shown how close we are to being one of the better teams in the world. We’re not far off the mark at all.
"We’ve grown in confidence from those results, and the All Whites have definitely inspired everyone and set the benchmark - going unbeaten at the World Cup. If the guys can do it, there’s no reason at all why the girls can’t".
To that end, the Junior Ferns intend to progress to a stage Green and eleven of her 2010 team-mates were within thirty seconds of reaching at the 2008 U-20 Women’s World Cup Finals, a stage no New Zealand team has yet reached.
"As a team we’ve set the goal of minimum making the quarter-finals", says the skipper. "That’s where we expect to be and I think that’s completely realistic for our team as well.
"I think our experience is going to be a huge advantage - you can’t put a price on experience, can you? Then again, we can’t take it for granted that we’ve got experience - we’ve got to use it.
"I guess", reflects Green, "you could say all our events have been leading up to this one, where we’ve managed to amass a huge amount of experience. It’ll come down to how the girls apply it in each game. If we do apply it correctly, I think it could be a big plus for us".
Just six of the Junior Ferns squad are making their World Cup Finals debuts in Germany, unlike their first opponents, Sweden, who will be playing in their first age-grade Finals tournament.
The UEFA U-19 runners-up, who are coached by Calle Barrling, will nonetheless be dangerous, as they boast that tournament’s leading scorer, Sofia Jakobsson, and midfield general Emilia Appelquist, as players to watch.
The Swedes will be concerned - and with good reason - about the potential of the Junior Ferns’ numerous game-breakers, any combination of whom could fire the Kiwis to victory from 12.30am on Wednesday.
Things don’t get any easier for Tony Readings’ team, however, as at 4am on Saturday they face North Korea, who won this tournament in 2006, were runners-up two years ago and conceded just one goal in qualifying for Germany 2010.
Coach Choe Kwang Sok has inherited a number of the squad which were the inaugural winners of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Finals at New Zealand ‘08. Expect the likes of striker Jon Myong Hwa, midfielder Ho Un Byol and goalkeeper Hong Myong Hui to again be to the fore as the Asian contenders look to maintain their impressive age-
|
grade record.
The Junior Ferns’ final group match, on Wednesday week at 12.30am, sees them taking on a team which has never failed to make the last eight in the history of FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Finals.
Brazil, or As Canarinhas, as they are nicknamed, are the South American champions, scoring 25 goals in their six qualifying matches to advance to Germany. Coach Marcos Gaspar boasts a plethora of exciting players, among them midfielders Ester and Ketlen, strikers Alanna and Camila, and fullbacks Rafaelle and Leah, whose spectacular throw-in technique alone will capture the imagination!
Our own star fullback has a few tricks of her own up her sleeve, such as a penchant for scoring goals. Anna Green will never forget her 2009 National Women’s League Grand Final hat-trick, of that you can be certain, but it’s not the only highlight of her career to date.
"National League was a lot of fun last year. It was nice to get back and really enjoy what I was doing, and I had a lot of fun scoring goals and playing up front as well - I’m not used to that.
"The Olympics were a huge event, and I was lucky to be a part of that - one of my best experiences ever and memories as part of a NZ team. And the last two Cyprus Cups have been fantastic - we’ve always managed to perform well there. When you’re winning, you’re having good experiences, so winning at the Cyprus Cup is one of my better memories".
The 2010 version nearly didn’t happen for the Junior Ferns captain. "During the U-20 qualifying tournament in January, I picked up a small fracture in my knee, along with a lot of bruising to the bone and to the ligaments on the outside of my knee - it was quite a big knock!
"I made a decision to play in the Cyprus Cup in March, which was probably not the best decision for my knee but was certainly a good decision for me, as it helped secure my spot in that team.
"After the Cyprus Cup I had two months off, which was a bit longer than expected but it meant that I could come back in time for the USA tour in May. I’m 100% fit now".
And relishing her new role in the women’s game, too. "I love being captain of the Junior Ferns, and enjoy the responsibility that comes with it. It’s different to what I would normally have been doing - my role would have been more as part of the team.
"But it’s a lot of fun and definitely a new experience for me as well. I’m learning, along with the team, how to deal with certain situations. I’m really enjoying it and embracing my role".
Away from football, "Greenie" is majoring in accounting as she completes her Bachelor of Business Studies degree at Massey University’s Albany campus, after which "I’ll either stay here and look to get a job in accounting or maybe head overseas and try my luck at professional football".
Meantime, Anna Green is on a mission in Germany, where she hopes to lead her Junior Ferns team-mates to the promised land - the quarter-finals … and beyond?
All New Zealand’s games will be shown live on Sky, along with live coverage from Germany of all matches from the quarter-finals onwards at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Finals.
The Junior Ferns squad (including appearances and goalscoring details at U-20 level):
|