What comes now?

By Scott MacLean

It’s hard to deny that the Women’s World Cup these past five weeks has seen some of the best sporting entertainment ever seen on these shores, complete with crowds that came out in droves to watch it.

Our Football Ferns were a big part of that, starting off the tournament in the best way possible in beating former champions Norway 1-0 in front of a packed-out Eden Park and notching their first ever win at a World Cup. But following that came the crash of a loss to the lowly Philippines, and then the heartbreak of a 0-0 draw with Switzerland and attaining the unwelcome footnote of becoming the first host nation to not make it out of the group stage.

But now, the focus needs to turn towards the next edition in 2027 – the host of which will be announced next May – and not just qualifying for it but progressing further into the tournament than this time should be the minimum requirement.

So….. what might that look like?

Four years is a long time, but the first part is there with coach Jitka Klimkova signed on through that tournament. She will undoubtedly have some strong ideas about what the shape of her squad will look like going ahead, but now would seem the right time to start bringing in new blood and at the very least seeing how they handle the international game. But what might they look like in the short-term?

Defence

Conceding one goal in three games is certainly commendable – the 2010 Men conceded twice and were lauded for it – and much of that is down to the experience of the back four. Ali Riley, Katie Bowen, and Rebekah Stott own more than 330 international caps between them and while CJ Bott has ‘just’ 41, she plies her trade at Leicester City in the English topflight. Add in Ria Percival in the screening role in front of them and her 160-plus caps, and it’s well over 500 international appearances.

But while Bowen, Stott, and Bott are all around 30 and could reasonably expect to be in the mix for 2027, the end of the road seems near for the 35-year-old Riley and 33-year-old Percival and hopefully the pair get the sort of send-off their service to the game deserves. Michaela Foster should get the first crack at Riley’s left back spot and with her talents on the dead-ball already evident should be taking the set-piece from day one. The other defensive incumbents won’t be short of challengers with squad members Claudia Bunge and Liz Anton, and Wellington Phoenix trio Kate Taylor, Mackenzie Barry, and Marissa van der Meer amongst those looking to stake a claim, while a wildcard could be Meikayla Moore who missed selection for the Cup and then withdrew from a supporting role but is still just 27.

In goal Glasgow-based Vic Esson edged out the more-experienced Erin Nayler for the starting role but both are also on the north side of 30. England-based Anna Leat would be expected to have the inside run on the place in the long-term but will herself have to fend off challengers like the Phoenix’s rapidly improving Brianna Edwards.

Midfield

One pressing area for Klimkova will be the succession plan for Percival who has played one of football’s most demanding roles – defensive midfield – with aplomb for so long. Malia Steinmetz – one of the Ferns’ Cup stars – and Daisy Cleverley were given opportunities there during the troubled run-in to the Cup and may well again while Bowen is experienced there too.

Further forward though are where the Ferns real problem’s lie. Conceding one goal is great, but only scoring one is not, and Klimkova will be forced to reassess her tactics and style here. She’s not short of options for wide players within the current squad although Betsy Hassett and her 150 games of experience is another close to retirement, but the absence of a central player who can unpick teams with a single pass is perhaps the most glaring need and it’s a shame that injuries have derailed the career of Annalie Longo – maybe our most technically-gifted footballer – to the extent they have in recent years. Perhaps the time is now for someone like Steinmetz or the Phoenix’s Grace Wisnewski or Alyssa Whinham – if she can regain the form and confidence that saw her emerge as a budding star in the season before last – to step up and be that person.

Forwards

It’s unfair on the player concerned, but Klimkova’s blind spot seemed to be on striker Hannah Wilkinson. Yes she scored THAT goal, and has been a loyal servant of the team for nearly 120 matches, but she seemed out of form, ill-suited to the game the Ferns wanted to play, and stuck with too long in matches when it plainly wasn’t working and other options existed. Wilkinson may not be done and at 31 could still be around in four years, but in the likes of Jacqui Hand, Indiah-Paige Riley, and teenager Milly Clegg for starters, there’s other players perhaps more suited to the Ferns current style.

Of course, none of this happens without more games. The likely addition of an Auckland-based A-League team is a positive start towards building more experience and depth as is getting more players into overseas leagues and the US college system; of the World Cup squad only Longo was listed as playing for a club that wasn’t in the A-League or further abroad. But that means organising more games and maximising the opportunities against the world-leading sides – if you want to match and beat the best you need to be playing them and perhaps NZ Football and their Australian counterparts could work together to bring them down here – to build on the hype of these last few memorable weeks.

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