New Zealand’s experience with the World Cup has got to be frustrating. In the past three World Cup qualification campaigns, the Football Ferns (as New Zealand’s women’s team is known) have played a total of 11 games, won all of them, scored 101 goals and conceded just once. Upon reaching the big stage, however, the Kiwis have (so far) played six games, losing five and drawing one, conceding 15 goals and scoring just four. They’ve never made it past the group stage or won a game. Therein lies both New Zealand’s greatest problem—an almost guaranteed path to every World Cup, almost regardless of the team’s form—and most immediate challenge—get that elusive World Cup win.
World Cup team profiles: To read in-depth profiles of all 24 teams at the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup, CLICK HERE
Roster
Goalkeepers: Erin Nayler, Rebecca Rolls and Cushla Lichtwark
Defenders: Ria Percival, Anna Green, Abby Erceg, Rebekah Stott, Ali Riley, Meikayla Moore and Catherine Bott
Midfielders: Katie Hoyle, Kirsty Yallop, Betsy Hassett, Katie Bowen, Annalie Longo, Evie Millynn and Daisy Cleverley
Forwards: Jasmine Pereira, Amber Hearn, Sarah Gregorius, Rosie White, Hannah Wilkinson and Emma Kete
Coach
Tony Readings has big shoes to fill, at least as far as fans in this country are concerned. The man who has taken over New Zealand’s coach’s job from John Herdman—Canada’s current head coach—has a spell at the helm of the Kiwi’s U20 squad on his resume, but little else. This tournament is his chance to make his mark: While Herdman got New Zealand to two World Cups, a single win under Readings will already have done what Herdman couldn’t, and might just advance the Ferns to the next round of this expanded tournament.
Group A schedule
June 6: vs. Netherlands in Edmonton
June 11: vs. Canada in Edmonton
June 15: vs. China in Winnipeg
How they qualified
Pretty much by default. Three games, 30 goals for, zero goals against. Oceania qualifying is a cakewalk for the Kiwis.
Team strengths
Making the most of a decent blend of speedy youth (forward Rosie White), veterans (defenders Ria Percival, Abby Erceg) and scoring punch (striker Amber Heard) gives New Zealand a fighting chance in a not-overly tough group. As does the expanded tournament format, where the best third-place team moves on.
Team weaknesses
A lack of depth could hurt this squad in a relatively tough group. But, as we’ve seen, the big issue will be their struggles against top-level opposition. Since the beginning of 2014 New Zealand has played 20 games outside of World Cup qualifying, all against teams of far higher quality than New Zealand’s qualifying opposition. The Ferns won two of those games, drew eight and lost 10. Suddenly those three huge wins in qualifying look like a blip.
Player to watch
A seemingly tireless defender, Abby Erceg is a key leader on New Zealand’s backline. The first Kiwi woman to reach 100 senior caps, the 25 year old has spent her time since 2013 bouncing between German top-flight team FF USV Jena and NWSL side Chicago Red Stars. If the Football Ferns are going to have a chance, they’ll need to be tight at the back, meaning their captain and most prolific player will have to be huge.
Burning question
How good are they really? New Zealand is currently flying as high as they ever have, sitting 17th in FIFA’s rankings. But, as mentioned, it’s easy for a decent team to inflate its stats and its sense of it’s own skills against the likes of Tonga and the Cook Islands. They’ve shown the ability to hold significant teams—drawing Spain, Brazil and Norway in pre–World Cup friendlies—but as their male counterparts found out at the 2010 World Cup, draws aren’t enough to get you through the group stage. The Kiwis will need to rediscover their 16-0-win-over-Tonga form, because their recent form suggests they’re in for an early exit.
World Cup history
1991 – Group stage
1995 to 2003 – Did not qualify
2007 to 2011 – Group stage