The Final Review

The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website | home

The Final Review

A Memorable Conclusion To Project Russia

by Jeremy Ruane

Don't they scrub up well?

The New Zealand squad meet the NZ Ambassador to Russia in Moscow

Back row: Hannah Bromley, Helen Collins, Christopher Elder (Ambassador), Caitlin Campbell, Bianca Mori, Abby Erceg, Ali Riley

Middle row: Aroon Clansey, Ria Percival, Emma Humphries, Emma Harrison, Sarah Gregorius, Annalie Longo, Kirsty Yallop, Emma Kete

Front row: Merissa Smith, Katie Hoyle, Hannah Rishworth, Petria Rennie, Renee Leota, Maggie Lankshear, Julia Baldwin photo courtesy NZ Soccer

It started out, just like the All Whites' Spain `82 campaign, in the humble surroundings of Bill McKinlay Park, the final act of the New Zealand U-19 women's weekend-long training camp being a friendly encounter against North Harbour, which the national combination came from behind to win 4-1 on October 2, 2005.

Some of those involved hadn't even met each other prior to that weekend. Little was anyone - least of all those directly involved - to know that forty days shy of a year later, they would be recording New Zealand's greatest-ever result in world football, a 0-0 draw with eventual third place-getters Brazil, as they bowed out of the inaugural FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Finals in highly memorable fashion.

This result followed hard on the heels of a heart-breaking loss to Russia, a last-minute goal in stoppage time seeing the Kiwi squad succumb by the odd goal in five, having come back from being two goals down inside the first fourteen minutes.

“We really thought we were going to come away with at least a point against Russia”, declares team captain Kirsty Yallop. “Drawing level with them was a special moment, but getting the result against Brazil … it was the best way to go out, no question!”

NZ Soccer's Head of Women's Football, Michele Cox, was just as thrilled. “The Brazil result was the pinnacle of the tournament, while the Russian encounter was the pick of all thirty-two matches in the tournament - it was the most amazing game.

“The host nation were lucky they didn't lose. Even the USA delegates, with whom I was sitting in the stand, had tears in their eyes following the cruel twist fate dealt us in the last seconds of that match!”

The coach, John Herdman, is every bit as enthusiastic about the efforts of his young charges in Russia. “Against Australia, it was a case of `How did we lose that?' The only difference between the teams was their three goals.

“Then against Russia, we nearly beat the European champions. We genuinely thought we could get three points against them from the outset, and went into the half-time break saying `Hey, we're still in this!'. As a result, we kept having a go, only to get caught with a sucker-punch in the last thirty seconds.

“The girls showed a lot of maturity against Brazil, and got the best reward possible - it was wonderful to be part of it. They made sure they got the result - they were going to die for it if necessary - and didn't leave an ounce of Kiwi on that pitch”.

Herdman, quite rightly, is proud of what New Zealand achieved, not just in Russia, but over the course of the entire year. “A lot of hard work came to fruition, culminating in a very enriching experience for us all.

“One of the challenges was trying to cram three years' work into nine months! At times you felt they were almost at breaking point, but the team culture - helping each other - pulled them through.

“Seeing the growth across the whole team in self-belief, self-confidence and maturity in the past year was something special. A lot of young girls stepped up, and seeing people box well above what they and others thought was their limit … Australian coach Tom Sermanni summed it up best when he said to me, `You've got the best out of them and a bit more'”.

The squad's proud captain is prone to understate the achievements of her team-mates and herself. “En route to Russia, we played against the Dutch - that was different! They all had a great first touch. While there, we met the Charlton Athletic squad, and watched parts of their training sessions, which was pretty good.

“In Russia, all the games were shown live on TV, while there was plenty of kit swapping going on between the teams in the five-star hotels we stayed in - they were an experience in themselves! The Aussies were the only team we really socialised with, mainly because they're from so close to home and don't speak a different language!!

“On the park, we got better with each game”, reflects

FINALS PHOTOS COURTESY WWW.FIFA.COM

Kirsty Yallop evades the clutches of Sally Shipard (Australia)

Hannah Rishworth thwarts Sasha McDonnell (Australia)

Aroon Clansey gathers safely against Russia, watched by Ria Percival and Elena Shchegaleva (Russia)

Katie Hoyle clears her lines against Brazil as Hannah Rishworth looks on

Yallop, “and did pretty well in the end. It was really good, an awesome experience, in fact - I loved it!”

Cue Cox. “They really gave people a huge shock. People were expecting them to be well beaten, but on behalf of both New Zealand and the Oceania Football Confederation, these girls have given us huge credibility - they've set the benchmark for all our international teams to match and better”.

The former international sat in on a FIFA Technical Study Group presentation towards the end of the tournament, and plenty of praise was forthcoming about New Zealand's contribution to Russia 2006.

The preparation and planning was every bit as good as the four teams which made it to the semi-finals, and far superior to the European teams, all of whom were homeward bound by quarter-finals time.

As well, John Herdman's exceptional use of technology was applauded by the Group, while the players themselves were acknowledged as the tournament's best-presented team. Two of the squad, Ali Riley (v. Russia) and Abby Erceg (v. Brazil) earned Woman of the Match awards for their performances.

“Hannah Rishworth and Aroon Clansey were also stand-outs”, declares Herdman, “while when given the chance, Hannah Bromley well and truly produced her best form.

“Seeing Brazil's leading goalscorer, Fabiana, taken off at half-time because she couldn't cope with our defence … it just confirms that if you get players fit and organised, there's very little difference between teams and individuals. That's when things like fortune come into play. We'll become luckier as we get better!!

“World Cup environments are really exciting for a coach, a real opportunity to pit your wits against your peers. Through this experience, I've learnt a lot about the game, and done the best I can, just as these girls have. It's been an amazing experience for us all”.

Cox can not praise the squad highly enough for their efforts. “I'm very proud of them”, she beams, “not just for the way they have played, but also for their conduct on and off the park, amongst other things.

“As for John, he and his staff have done a fantastic job, creating a tremendous environment which allowed the girls to be the best they could be. John in particular has given everything he could over the past year, and can be very proud of what he has achieved with this squad”.

The final word belongs to Yallop, as she looks back, not just on Russia, but the entire twelve months, encompassing the 2005 National Women's League campaign, and trips to Australia, Samoa for the qualifying series, Argentina and Holland prior to the Finals.

“It seems like it went really fast, to be honest. It was like a life-time crammed into a year. It's all been well worth it, though - a very special experience, which, to date, is the best I've ever had”.

NEW ZEALAND'S RECORD AT THE 2006 U-20 WOMEN'S

WORLD CUP FINALS

17 August, St. Petersburg

New Zealand 0, Australia 3 (C. McCallum (39, 80), S. Shipard (90)) HT 0-1

NZ: Clansey; Percival, Rishworth, Erceg (booked, 45), Riley; Rennie, Hoyle (Lankshear, 67), Yallop (Longo, 85), Humphries; Smith (Kete, 65), Gregorius

20 August, St. Petersburg

New Zealand 2 (A. Erceg (18), E. Humphries (56)), Russia 3 (A. Kozhnikova (5), E. Terekhova (14), S. Akimova (90)) HT 1-2

NZ: Clansey; Percival, Rishworth, Erceg (Bromley, 33), Riley; Rennie (booked, 82), Hoyle (booked, 90), Yallop, Lankshear (Longo, 51); Gregorius (Collins, 89), Humphries

23 August, Moscow

New Zealand 0, Brazil 0

NZ: Clansey; Percival, Rishworth, Bromley, Riley (Collins, 90); Longo (Leota, 74), Hoyle, Yallop, Erceg; Gregorius, Humphries

Project Russia 2006