Tom Sermanni made eight changes for the game against the Cook Islands, giving a mostly second-string team a good old workout. Up against Fiji for top place in the group, Sermanni made eight more. Only Katie Rood, Anna Green and Annalie Longo held their places. Longo is the only player to have started all three games. And as expected both Katie Bowen and Ali Riley were rested after hefty workloads in the first two matches.

What that meant was that Erin Nayler was back in goal, her twelfth start in fourteen games since the Olympics. It also meant that we were back to our first choice defensive pairing of Meikayla Moore and Rebekah Stott, who have also started twelve of the last fourteen games together in that time… albeit Stott was at right back once or twice there and a few games with back threes. Out wide Anna Green held her place on the left after an excellent performance against the Cook Islands while Sarah Morton was given the right back spot over CJ Bott (who played ninety in the first game and hasn’t appeared since – seems a high chance of starting the semi-final then). A midfield trio with Ria Percival as the defensive one with Longo and Betsy Hassett in front of her – and you know what that means for Ria Percival, shot Ria. Front three of Rosie White, Sarah Gregorius and Katie Rood.

Considering there were eight changes between one and two and another eight changes from two to three… how many changes between one and three? Just the three. CJ Bott and Ali Riley started that Tonga game at fullback and they’re probably well rested now for the semi and final. Same as Katie Bowen, who played all 180 mins in the first two and sat this one out. Slight reshuffle in there too as well with Rood up front instead of Longo, who slipped into the midfield. A few little insights there. Tom Sermanni’s new with this group but he’s obviously got a steady enough idea of what his best team looks like already… and it’s more or less what it already was before he arrived. Fair enough.

Fiji was supposed to be the toughest test for the Ferns so far, for what that’s worth. Not a whole lot when they revert to something close to their best team and play as well as this. Easily the best performances from the Fernies at the Nations Cup so far, they were immediately on top and stayed there for ninety full minutes and change. Fiji literally barely made it over halfway. Can’t remember Erin Nayler having a save to make all game. It was a ruthless and impressive showing from Aotearoa. Constantly searching for ways to strike and unleashing… dunno what the stats are but must’ve been at least 25 attempts at goal. It was a game in which they hit double figures and for the most part the Fijian keeper actually played quite well (all the keepers they’ve played have been decent, to be fair).

No surprises who struck first. Annalie Longo has scored five goals at this tournament after three games and every one of them has come in the first half. Bit hard to score in the second when she’s been subbed off at half-time twice… but still, it’s been the Canterbury Pride superstar who has struck early in every game. Scored in the 9th and 13th minutes against Tonga, scored in the 13th minute against Cook Islands, and scored in the 8th minute to open the scoring against Fiji. Sharp finish too.

Sarah Gregorius then scored a quick double, one getting in the right place at the right time after a cross from Katie Rood on the right… get ready to read that name plenty… then the second was a slick touch-and-shoot after Morton had won the ball back up high, fed it to Rood, and Rood had picked out Gregorius at the near post. Annalie Longo made it four going into the half after some brilliant work from Rood down the left side this time, beating two defenders and straightening along the by-line before stabbing in a cross. Rosie White wasn’t able to put it away in traffic but Longo, with a tad more space, made no mistake.

4-0 at the break. That was pretty much it as a contest, no more chance of Fiji doing anything unexpected. So Sermanni chucked on Grace Jale for Annalie Longo just to keep it all fresh. It was Jale’s third appearance off the bench in three games and this was no doubt a special one given she’s half-Fijian. Wasn’t long until a fine looking corner kick from Rosie White was thumped in off the noggin of Meikayla Moore for her second international goal, then Katie Rood scored her second career goal for the Ferns with a nice first-time finish after a lovely one-two down the left between Anna Green and Betsy Hassett.

Katie Rood was involved in so much here. She faded in and out of the last game in her first start for the national team but now with more experienced attackers around her she really thrived. Rood’s a player who wants to link up with teammates, lots of quick passes and energetic runs. The understanding she had with Sarah Gregorius, the two wingers constantly switching sides and mixing it up, was fun to see. Rood was directly involved in more than half the goals in this game and could personally have had a few more than the two she ended up with, slashing a couple shots over or past the target. Rosie White also had a goal disallowed for offside (correctly, btw). No flurry of shots off the frame of the goal like last time though.

Ria Percival was replaced by Steph Skilton with half an hour remaining, before Rosie White made way for Emma Rolston with eighteen to play. There was also a reshuffle in there as Rebekah Stott came out to the right flank, Sarah Morton swapped over to the left and Anna Green slid to centre-back alongside Moore. Gonna assume that was all in order to see Stott play a bit at fullback and she didn’t disappoint, within ten minutes she’d set up the seventh goal, beating a defender and seeing her cross turned in for an OG. Then Katie Rood cut inside, cut back outside, and scored her second. Emma Rolston got the next one with a really smooth shot on the turn after an assist from, who else, Katie Rood. Then Sarah Gregorius finally completed her hatty, her second hat-trick of the tournament having only played two games, when she got on the end of a long ball from Hassett (sent forward from just over the half-way line) which the keeper wasn’t able to take care of. Add ‘em all up and it makes ten.

A couple other players that need some much deserved credit, one is Anna Green who has been superb in the last two games getting forward and swinging in crosses from the left. Sarah Morton on the right also deserves a bit of that, the Auckland fullback whips in a fine cross herself and her pressure up the wing was a big part of how the Ferns set the tone for this one. Given the depth available at fullback in this squad (Riley, Bott, Green, Stott, etc.), Morton might not have expected to play as much as she has… instead she’s featured in all three games and even scored in the second match. Not bad for somebody who only made their international debut in June (in the Japan game). You know who else has taken the field in all of the Ferns’ last four games? Just Annalie Longo, she’s the only one (Longo’s featured – or should I say fleatured – in every game going back at least to the start of the Olympics).

And the other one to shout out is Ria Percival, the most capped NZ footballer of all time, whose move into midfield for the national team has been a revelation. Obviously she’s played there plenty for her clubs before but for the Ferns she’s primarily been a right fullback. Well, we’ve got several of those already and could really use a midfielder more… and Percy’s been even better in the middle than she was at RB. Such a tireless player, and one who demands the same of those around her too. Loved seeing her wear the captain’s armband here.

Okay, so the Ferns play next against hosts New Caledonia on Wednesday, who beat Tahiti 4-2 and beat Samoa 2-0 but lost 6-2 in between to Papua New Guinea. PNG look like the second best team at this tournament but it’s always a tricky one to play the host nation. With 27 goals scored in three games with none conceded though, not to mention a well rotated squad looking fit and ready, the Ferns won’t be nervous.

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