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2007
Hard Work Pays Swift Dividends For Speedster Smith
by Jeremy Ruane
Just one year ago this coming week, a shy, fresh-faced fifteen-year-old fifth form student, totally new to the world of international football, found herself boarding a plane bound for Argentina with her fellow New Zealand U-20 women's squad members.
The rest of the travelling party had clinched New Zealand's berth at the 2006 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Finals by winning the qualifying tournament in April.
But Merissa Smith hadn't even entered the thoughts of New Zealand's coach, John Herdman, at that stage of proceedings - indeed, he barely knew about her.
He soon discovered he had a special talent on his hands, however, and the impression made on him by the Three Kings United speedster has been considerable.
“She was a bit of a revelation when she came in to Argentina as an U-20”, recalls Herdman. “She sort of sat on the periphery, and was given an opportunity. When opportunity knocked, it didn't take Merissa Smith long to open that door, and scoring with her first touch in her first international fixture was fantastic”.
That goal proved to be the winner in a 2-1 victory over River Plate, New Zealand's first-ever triumph on South American soil at any level. She scored again two games later - the equaliser in a 2-2 draw with fellow U-20 finalists Argentina, and simply hasn't looked back since.
After playing in last August's U-20 Women's World Cup Finals, a further indication that Smith's star was in the ascendancy came last November, when, on her sixteenth birthday, she boarded a plane with some more New Zealand players for company, this time as part of the China-bound senior national squad.
There, she made her first senior international appearances for her country in the two-match series, and over the course of the coming week, she is poised to add to that tally as New Zealand hosts Canada in a two-match series which is a significant aspect of the Kiwi's Women's World Cup Finals' preparations.
Her progress in twelve months has been little short of stellar, as Herdman explains. “What we have seen this year is that she's grown, both in terms of maturity as well as physically - she's taller. Also, she's starting to mature into an athlete, and her understanding of the game is certainly coming along.
“She was quite raw when she came into the U-20s, and she now has a better understanding of out-of-possession roles. I think she's going to be a big influence on this team in the future”, he says, with a gentle hint of understatement.
For against the University of North Carolina last Sunday, Smith caught the eye of arguably the most influential women's footballing coach ever in Anson Dorrance, who steered the USA to win the inaugural FIFA Women's World Cup in 1991 and has coached
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such women's footballing legends as Mia Hamm, Michelle Akers and Kristine Lilly, amongst others.
“Anson Dorrance was quite impressed with Merissa”, says Herdman. “He couldn't believe she was still only sixteen. She's got that quality that international football cries out for, which is pace.
“As well, she's got that ability to sit off the shoulders of defenders and sneak into spaces at the right moment, and with those strengths she can cause a lot of problems on the international stage”.
The talented teenager herself is modesty personified when reflecting on her remarkable rise to the forefront of the New Zealand women's game in just twelve months.
“I'm just working hard, and trying my best”, beams Smith, who greatly enjoyed her return to the international stage against the NCAA Division One champions last Sunday, given what she's endured during the last six months.
“I've suffered a number of shoulder dislocations in the past, so in December, I had an operation on it. I was told I'd be out for six to nine months at first, but a combination of intensive physiotherapy and working hard with rehab and everything has resulted in my returning a lot earlier than what I'd envisaged.
“I was back playing games inside eighteen weeks, and was training a bit before then. It was only in the first month, when I was in a sling, that I couldn't do anything”, says the sixth former, who relished the opportunity to run again as soon as said sling was cast aside.
“After getting into the senior women's squad again and training hard, plus last week's game and this series against Canada … I've come a long way in the last few months since that operation”, says Smith, who will finish her schooling next year before considering her options.
“Just going to school and playing football is pretty much me”, sniggers Smith, when asked what plans she has for the future. “I'd like to study in the States somewhere - that would be pretty awesome - but at present, I don't really have anything in mind as far as a career outside football goes”.
Smith's dedication to the game is great news for New Zealand, for she is one of six players in the current squad aged seventeen or below. “When you look at what we've got here, it just bodes so well”, says John Herdman.
“Maybe September's Women's World Cup Finals will be challenging for us, but come next year's Olympics, we'll be getting there. And in four years time, when you consider what we're going to have in the pipeline, as well as the talent coming through in the U-17s … the future's so bright”.
Particularly with stars of the calibre of Merissa Smith to call upon.
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