The Ferns will play Asian champions and fellow FIFA Women’s World Cup finalists the Matildas at Gosford’s Bluetongue Stadium in two full internationals on May 12 and 15 – the first match behind closed doors and the second televised on both sides of the Tasman – before heading to Jinan to face China.
Germany-based defender Hannah Bromley and Claudelands Rovers striker Sarah McLaughlin have been recalled to the squad – the former after a three-year absence from the national team – while North Shore teenager Katie Bowen has been handed her first senior call up after successive campaigns with the U-17 side in 2008 and 2010.
The remainder of the squad has a settled look with four players boasting 50 or more caps and another four, including captain Rebecca Smith, in the forties.
After the rotation of players and combinations at the Cyprus Cup in March, New Zealand coach John Herdman says the squad is close to being finalised and focus now shifts to building on the core of personnel and tactics.
“We’ve chosen the best squad and it will be pretty close to what we take into the World Cup,” Herdman says. “But a few players have been brought in to be looked at one last time.”
“But the main focus isn’t about player selection – we’ve gone through that process in Cyprus, where we gave people lots of opportunities to play and got a feel for our squad. This tour is about the performance and getting closer to the results that we want at the World Cup.”
With a FIFA Women’s World Cup opener against Group B seeds Japan fast approaching on June 27 – New Zealand also play England and Mexico in pool play – Herdman sees twin tests against Australia as a key benchmark for where his side need to be when they land in Germany next month.
“Australia are the one of the best teams in the world right now. To become Asian champions you have to beat Japan, DPR Korea and China and the first two of those are in that echelon of the top six ranked teams in the world so it would be an unbelievable scalp for New Zealand if we could take it.”
Football Ferns squad for Australia/China Tour
(Club – Matches/Goals)
Goalkeepers
Jenny BINDON (Hibiscus Coast (men)) – 51/0)
Aroon CLANSEY (Three Kings United – 5/0)
Defenders
Katie BOWEN (Glenfield Rovers – 0/0)
Hannah BROMLEY (Herforder SV, Germany – 6/0)
Abby ERCEG (Fencibles United – 53/4)
Anna GREEN (Three Kings United – 33/4)
Ria PERCIVAL (Lynn Avon United – 50/7)
Ali RILEY (Western New York Flash, USA – 44/1)
Rebecca SMITH (VfL Wolfsburg, Germany / Captain – 49/2)
Midfielders
Olivia CHANCE (Claudelands Rovers – 3/0)
Betsy HASSETT (Univ. of California Berkeley, USA – 19/2)
Katie HOYLE (Glenfield Rovers – 42/1)
Hayley MOORWOOD (Chelsea, England – 62/7)
Hannah WALL (Fencibles United – 10/2)
Kirsty YALLOP (Unattached – 44/11)
Forwards
Sarah GREGORIUS (Eastern Suburbs – 10/8)
Amber HEARN (Lynn Avon United – 39/21)
Emma KETE (Three Kings United – 36/3)
Sarah MCLAUGHLIN (Claudelands Rovers – 7/0)
Rosie WHITE (Three Kings United – 23/7)
Hannah WILKINSON (Glenfield Rovers – 15/7)
Management
Head Coach: John HERDMAN
Assistant Coach: Tony READINGS
Goalkeeper Coach: Simon EADDY
Team Manager: Julie HOGG
Sport Scientist: Brad CONZA
Physiotherapist: Jen SAYER
Technical Analyst: Andy PEAT
Player Support: Ceri EVANS
Internationals
Australia v New Zealand
Bluetongue Stadium, Gosford
Thursday 12 May 2011
2.30pm (4.30pm NZT)
Behind closed doors
Australia v New Zealand
Bluetongue Stadium, Gosford
Sunday 15 May 2011
3.00pm (5pm NZT)
Delayed coverage on Sky Sport
China v New Zealand
Jinan, China
Friday 20 May 2011
7.30pm (11.30pm NZT)
Story courtesy of New Zealand Football.
For more on New Zealand football go to www.nzfootball.co.nz