Football Ferns at the 2022 She Believes Cup: Squad Yarns
There are two main things to say about this Football Ferns squad which has been named for the She Believes Cup, a friendly tournament to be hosted by the USA in a few weeks offering up three great fixtures for the Ferns on their third tour of Jitka Klimková’s coaching reign. Potentially winnable games against Iceland and the Czech Republic (Klimková’s homeland) bookending a meeting with the gold standard that is the USA. All at a strangely-named gathering consisting of a pronoun and a verb, typical Americans doing weird things with language. The structure of the three games nicely mimics a World Cup group stage too, just quietly.
The first of those ideas, of course, being that Rebekah Stott has been selected. When she last appeared for the Ferns it was at the Algarve Cup (another friendly tournament) in March 2020 just before the pandemic. Back then she was a locked-on starter, one of the Ferns’ very best players. Not long away from signing with Brighton & Hove in the WSL. Since then... she’s been through some stuff.
February 2021 – Rebekah Stott was diagnosed with stage three Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. She cuts short her time with Brighton to fly back to her home in Melbourne for treatment.
July 2021 – Rebekah Stott reveals that she’s now in remission following said treatment (the announcement made on the same day as the Ferns played their first game at the Tokyo Olympics).
Later in July 2021 – Rebekah Stott makes her return to football playing for local club Boreham Wood.
December 2021 – Rebekah Stott starts for Melbourne City in week one of the A-League season, only playing 60 minutes in that match but quickly building up her stamina to where she’s once again a 90 minute player.
February 2022 – Almost exactly a year after her initial diagnosis, Rebekah Stott is named in a Football Ferns squad once again, marking the last major milestone of her comeback.
It’s just an incredible story and there’s nothing much else to say. Stotty has done incredible work publicising her cancer journey in a way that sets an amazing example for other athletes (or non-athletes) going through the same thing as well as being an inspiration to all. Plus on the back of her performances for City these last few months it’s not just a sympathetic selection either. She’s earned this. She’s playing really well... although curiously in a much more advanced role – even starting in the front three for City a time or two. Rebekah Stott is amazing and what she’s overcome to get to this point is astounding. Shout out to Stotty.
The other thing to say is that we maybe need to reframe our concept of Aotearoa’s national women’s football team. Gone are the days when we had to scramble to fill out a squad of international calibre players. The days when we had no choice but to pick players who were out of form or not playing much at club level. We’ve now got something like 35-40 professional players to choose from. Way more than a mere squad’s worth. Those ain’t issues no more. The player base is only going to keep growing too, we’re entering an era of the most abundant depth we’ve ever seen. Gotta keep that front and centre whenever these squads are named now.
For example, Wellington Phoenix players were available for selection for the first time here. Once upon a time that would have been a heap of them going directly into the national team but them’s the old days. These days there were already more pros than could fit in a squad and they Nixers didn’t pop up to replace anyone. They’re expanding the player pool. Dipping their toes in at the shallow end while the likes of Abby Erceg and Ria Percival do backflips off the high board. There are levels to all this.
Hence when it became clear that Lily Alfeld was going to be selected in this squad, it was weird that a lot of the conversation seemed to be about which other Phoenix players might join her as opposed to who exactly Alfeld was going to replace. Because the Ferns already have three established goalies in Erin Nayler, Anna Leat, and Vic Esson. Lily Alfeld’s done great for the SheNix but great enough to overtake three keepers who were already ahead of her in the pecking order and who have done nothing wrong?
As it happens Anna Leat is unavailable for personal reasons so that’s how Lily Alfeld fits into this jigsaw puzzle. But the same thing applies to the rest of the Nix team. Alyssa Whinham is undoubtedly an amazing prospect for the Ferns but, you know, nine games into her professional career, for a team that’s taken one point from nine games... let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Whinham will play many times for the Ferns. As will the likes of Kate Taylor and Grace Wisnewski and plenty others but they’ve gotta climb a few more rungs on the ladder yet, is all. The Ferns squad is too competitive for anything else.
Granted, I will admit that positional needs do tend to throw a spanner in those works. Klimková has had to dip below the pro scenes in each of her three squads, at first because of covid/travel unavailabilities and now because... well, there ain’t a heap of strikers to choose from so two of the USA college players are still hanging on. But only two. Jacqui Hand and Daisy Cleverley are in this squad but have both graduated since the last tour. Gabi Rennie and Ava Collins are the only non-professionals in this squad (although there are four unattached players in between clubs – Hand and Cleverley plus Emma Rolston and CJ Bott, who it sounds like are both leaning towards gigs in England).
So maybe Whinham or Grace Jale might have been in that conversation after all. If they weren’t then they probably should have been... but Collins and Rennie both impressed on earlier Klimková tours and you do have to reward performances too. The world of football is pretty cut-throat and not everybody ends up at the level where they deserve to be. Ashleigh Ward feels like a good example of that, sitting in the English fourth tier. It’s a balancing act... but the point is that there are no guarantees. We’ve evolved beyond that limited thinking. Now let’s do the breakdown now.
Football Ferns vs Iceland - 2pm on Friday 18 February (NZT) in Carson, California
Football Ferns vs USA - 9am on Monday 21 February (NZT) in Carson, California
Football Ferns vs Czech Republic - 12pm on Thursday 24 February (NZT) in Frisco, Texas
GOALKEEPERS
Lily Alfeld - Wellington Phoenix, Aotearoa (0 caps/0 goals)
Victoria Esson - SC Sand, Germany (4/0)
Erin Nayler - Umeå IK, Sweden (74/0)
Gonna come out and say this from the start... if Anna Leat isn’t already considered the Ferns’ number one then she should be. The way she performed in her window as a starter for West Ham United (while Aussie Mackenzie Arnold was away at the Asian Cup) was so impressive, not just the shots that she saved but especially her distribution. So calm with the ball at her feet and accurate with her passing. With Klimková trying to bring more of a belief in possession for this team having a ball-friendly keeper is massive and, of the keepers that we have, Leat is easily the best in that regard.
But Anna Leat is missing her for personal reasons, so it goes. Thus Lily Alfeld gets her first international call-up since November 2019 (her only previous call-up). A fine reward for the A-League’s leading save-maker even if it does leave the Welly Nix in a bit of a pickle. Brianna Edwards (a dual Aussie/NZ national) debuted off the bench for a ten minute cameo last game which had the ultimate hype-woman Alfeld celebrating on the sideline after literally just being subbed off... though they’re required by regulations to name a backup yet don’t really have the flexibility to sign one given their squad restrictions. Might have to chuck the gloves on an outfielder or something.
Back to Lily Alfeld though, I reckon she’s a good chance of that first cap on this tour (she’s the only uncapped player in the squad). Would not be surprised whatsoever if the three goalies play one game each at the SB Cup. Also, Alfeld’s the only one playing regularly at the moment. Erin Nayler’s been out of footy for a long time but her new gig with Umeå in Sweden is close to getting underway. She’s got a point to prove having been the no-doubt starter for several years... but she may also be rusty.
As for Vic Esson, she’s just signed with SC Sand in Germany for the second half of their season, a step up from her time with Avaldsnes in Germany however it may not come with automatic starts and will probably only last a few months as SC Sand are looking dead-set for relegation. More on that in this week’s Flying Kiwis column. Esson has been third choice for a wee while, part of 13 of the last 14 Ferns squads yet with only four total caps. But the fourth of those was in the 2-0 win over South Korea last time out when she was excellent. This’ll be a funky trilogy of games for the goalkeeping position but yeah keep in mind that Anna Leat isn’t there and she’s the leader of the pack at the mo’.
DEFENDERS
Elizabeth Anton - Perth Glory, Australia (5/0)
CJ Bott - Unattached (31/1)
Claudia Bunge - Melbourne Victory, Australia (5/0)
Abby Erceg - North Carolina Courage, USA (144/6)
Meikayla Moore - Liverpool, England (48/3)
Ali Riley - Angel City FC, USA (140/1)
Rebekah Stott - Melbourne City, Australia (81/4)
Ashleigh Ward - Actonians, England (1/0)
Alrighty, Abby Erceg’s back. Missed out on the last tour amidst the dramas at her North Carolina Courage squad but time has passed since then and here we are. She’s even brought a friend: Katie Bowen is now an NC Courage player too and perhaps should be listed here as a defender given that’s where she’s played all four matches under coach JK. Bowen tended to play right back for Kansas City yet was at her best for them when she played centre-midfield. Don’t know where NCC will use her but she has been listed as a defender on team announcements for what that’s worth.
Rebekah Stott, as mentioned, is also back. And maybe she shouldn’t be listed as a defender because she’s mostly been a midfielder for Melbourne City... even playing a little further forward in some games. Stott’s ability to dribble out of defence with the ball always made her a decent shout in the middle of the park given that she spent a lot of time there regardless. She and Erceg were the CBs at the 2019 World Cup but neither have played for Klimková yet. There are a few veterans in that same category which feels like a nice shake-up. Earn your place back, kinda thing. Players like Stott and Erceg will have no dramas doing that but it’s good to keep even the vets on their toes.
Meikayla Moore has also started all four games under JK and been one of the better performers. She’s not getting a lot of matches for Liverpool at the moment but she never lets them down when she does play. Also got Liz Anton and Claudia Bunge playing excellently in the A-League to fill out the central defender options. Hence why Stott and Bowen might have been selected for other positions. Bunge was absolutely brilliant against the Phoenix on the weekend, without her at the back for Victory the Nix may well have won the damn thing. Very conflicted feelings watching that masterclass.
Then chuck in a bit of CJ Bott at right back (probably with Bowen as her backup?) and then Ali Riley and Ashleigh Ward as left-back options. Ward debuted last game in place of an injured Riley. Not playing at a particularly high level in England but she should be given what she showed in that South Korea win. And that’s your defence. So far three out of four Klimková games have seen a Bott/Moore/Bowen/Riley back four and it would have been 4/4 but for that Riley injury. But of course that was without Erceg/Stott...
MIDFIELDERS
Katie Bowen - North Carolina Courage, USA (77/3)
Daisy Cleverley - Unattached (16/2)
Betsy Hassett - Stjarnan, Iceland (126/14)
Ria Percival - Tottenham Hotspur, England (157/15)
Malia Steinmetz - Western Sydney Wanderers, Australia (4/0)
Similarly, the midfield trio has been set in stone under JK: it’s been Ria Percival, Daisy Cleverley, and Betsy Hassett in all four line-ups. Percival should be the first name on the teamsheet with the way she’s playing for Spurs this season... however Cleverley and Hassett haven’t played since the last Ferns tour.
Cleverley was scandalously overlooked in the NWSL Draft and after all the trades going on in that league most teams don’t have room for preseason triallists either which blew out another candle. She’s too good not to end up somewhere decent soon, especially given how well she’s played for the Fernies going back to the Olympics. But gotta be careful when it comes to Unattached FC players on a tour like this. Three games in the space of six days on the cards is tough when you’re battling ring-rust. Meanwhile Hassett is in her offseason in Iceland... who are the first nation that the Ferns will meet at this tournament so she’ll know a fair few of these foes. Good laughs.
Katie Bowen is an option for rotation. Rebekah Stott is an option for rotation. Malia Steinmetz is too, having been picked for the second time in a row after almost three years out of these squads. Steinmetz hasn’t quite been the glowing success at Western Sydney that Bunge and Anton have been at their respective A-League clubs this season, appearing in six of nine matches to date and only starting three of them. But midfield depth is still a work in progress. Not quite like striker depth but close. We just named six legit midfielders though so don’t panic.
Plus there’s also Liv Chance who has been superb for Celtic all season in a deeper midfield role. Not sure we’ll see that here though. For the Ferns she’s played mostly in the front three in recent games. Played brilliantly there too. Set up both goals in the win over South Korea and it’s not a stretch to say she’s the Football Ferns’ most important creative player. A good reason to keep her in the front three, especially considering the lack of forward depth, but of course she’d do no wrong in centre-mid if necessary.
FORWARDS
Olivia Chance - Celtic, Scotland (26/1)
Ava Collins - St John’s University, USA (4/0)
Jacqui Hand - Unattached (4/1)
Gabi Rennie - Arizona State University, USA (7/2)
Emma Rolston - Unattached (8/6)
Paige Satchell - Sydney FC, Australia (23/2)
Hannah Wilkinson - Melbourne City, Australia (100/26)
Along with no Anna Leat, there’s also no Rosie White for personal reasons. White recently got engaged so congrats to her and the partner, presuming that may have something to do with those personal reasons. But even if it doesn’t she’s arguably a tenuous option anyway given that she barely played football in 2021 for health reasons. Currently without a club after OL Reign released her. Going back to the fresh abundance mindset... can’t really say that warrants selection. But fingers crossed she finds a new gig soon and gets back in contention coz as I say the striking depth (White is also a midfield option tbf) is kinda desperate for her level of experience.
Thankfully Hannah Wilkinson is back. 100 caps of Knowing What To Do, plus she returns to the Ferns in a thrilling run of form having scored 9 goals for Melbourne City already. Two clear of Chelsie Dawber (Adelaide) in the hunt for the A-League Golden Boot. Not only that but she’s looking as fit as she ever has done and that added mobility clears up the worry that maybe the Ferns’ most experienced attacker would struggle to fit into a high-pressing Klimková team. Melbourne City do a similar thing with how they defend from the front so combine that with the goal-scoring form and it’s all just perfect alignment for Wilkie.
Ava Collins, Gabi Rennie, and Emma Rolston have all started at CF under Klimková through her first four games so clearly it’s a position up for grabs. This better-than-ever version of Hannah Wilkinson oughta have it on lock by the end of the She Believes Cup. But fair play to that other trio who are all still here in this squad (two at uni and one unattached which is a tad awkward). They’ve all impressed in their own ways. Bit unlucky for Katie Rood to miss out though given she’s scored three goals and set up two in her last four Southampton matches. Jana Radosavljević, Anna Leat, and Maggie Jenkins are the others to miss out since last time.
Then we’ve got Paige Satchell and Jacqui Hand competing for the right-wing spot. Hand with the upper... well, hand... having started each of the last three. Satchell is operating at a higher club level though. Jacqui Hand is in the exact same situation as Daisy Cleverley after being overlooked by the NWSL coming out of college so a couple goals against the USAWNT wouldn’t go astray in showcase to those clubs how dumb they were. Betsy Hassett is another option in the front three. Could even slide Chance to the other side and push Ali Riley further forward. Wouldn’t be the first time.
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